Our planet faces a plastic waste crisis. Let’s look at plastics that have broken down into small fragments or microplastics, tiny enough to enter our blood steam, and how microplastic pollution affects our daily lives, our environment and potentially our health.
■One study shows that up to 94% of tap water in the U.S. tests positive for microplastics.
■A 2014 study of German beer found microplastics in all tested samples. Fragments also appear in sea salt and bottled water.
■Our air, soils and food supplies routinely test positive for microplastics and plastic fibers.
■In 2015, National Geographic found that 90% of sea birds tested positive for plastic fragments.
■Little is known about the impact of microplastics on human health. Feeding plastic particles to human subjects is frowned upon. However, microplastics have been found in human waste.
■Plastics are associated with a variety of toxic or endocrine-disrupting chemicals such as flame retardants, antimicrobial compounds and bisphenol-A, the latter used in the production of polycarbonate plastic and epoxy resins.
■Microplastics can transport pathogens, which could cause illnesses in humans.
Solutions? Enact policies to limit single-use plastics, such as bags, bottles and straws. This will require political wisdom on the state level as well as the creation and enforcement of local, national and international commitments to limit and recycle single-use plastic products. In addition, producers of plastic, just like those of electronic products, should support monetarily the disposal and the recycling of their products.
Unlike our neighboring states, New Hampshire has fallen behind in addressing this critical situation. We need leadership in Concord to take positive action for the benefit of its citizens and those who will inherit our beautiful state.
RICHARD SPENCE
Dover