By Ty Perin | Perin on the Rocks
They’re in your water. They’re in your food. They’re probably in your bloodstream.
Microplastics, those teeny tiny plastic particles less than five millimeters in size, are becoming one of the most widespread pollutants on Earth. They’re showing up in places they shouldn’t: remote mountain peaks, deep-sea trenches, and even inside the human body. And the wild part? Most of us don’t even realize it.
This post dives into what microplastics are, where they come from, how they travel, and why we should care. Spoiler alert: it’s not just about trash washing up on beaches — it’s about plastic showing up in your sushi roll.
What Are Microplastics, Really?
Microplastics are fragments of plastic less than five millimeters in diameter, roughly the size of a sesame seed, or even smaller. They come in two main forms: primary microplastics, which are intentionally small (think microbeads in face wash or fibers from synthetic fabrics), and secondary microplastics, which form when larger plastic products break down over time through exposure to sunlight, wind, waves, or friction.
Unlike biodegradable materials, plastics don’t decompose. They simply break into smaller and smaller pieces, persisting in the environment for decades or even centuries. Imagine a plastic water bottle crumbling into dust, except that “dust” doesn’t go away. It just spreads.
Where Do Microplastics Come From?
In short: everywhere. But if we dig a little deeper, the sources are surprisingly ordinary. One of the biggest culprits? Our clothes. Every time we wash synthetic fabrics like polyester, nylon, or spandex, they shed microscopic fibers that go down the drain. Most wastewater treatment plants can’t catch particles that small, so they head straight into rivers, lakes, and oceans.
Car tires are another unexpected source. As they wear down on the road, they release tiny plastic particles that end up in storm drains and eventually, waterways. Packaging materials, disposable plastics, fishing nets, and personal care products also add to the growing mix.
Even everyday household items like toothpaste (especially older brands with microbeads), wet wipes, and cleaning pads can release plastic into the environment. It’s not just what we throw away, it’s what we use.
How Do Microplastics Travel?
Like glitter on a christmas gift, microplastics spread everywhere. They float through the air, drift through the ocean, and ride the backs (and bellies) of animals. Some settle into soil, others drift high into the atmosphere. Scientists have even found microplastic particles in Arctic snow and Antarctic ice, carried by wind and weather across entire hemispheres.
They’re in bottled water, tap water, salt, honey, beer, and even rain. Whether you live in a big city or a remote cabin, you’re probably inhaling or ingesting microplastics every day. So is the rest of the food chain.
Why Do Microplastics Matter?
At first glance, microplastics might seem too small to be a big deal. But their impacts are anything but small.
First, there’s the health angle.
Microplastics have been found in human lungs, blood, and even placentas. While research is still ongoing, early studies suggest that these particles can trigger inflammation, carry toxic chemicals, and potentially disrupt hormones. Some may even be able to cross the blood-brain barrier, a pretty terrifying concept when you think about it.
Then there’s the environmental impact.
In marine ecosystems, animals often mistake microplastics for food. Fish, birds, and even plankton have been found with stomachs full of plastic, which can block digestion, reduce nutrient absorption, and ultimately lead to death. As those animals are eaten by others, the plastics move up the food chain, sometimes right onto our dinner plates.
Finally, microplastics are incredibly difficult, if not impossible, to clean up. Their small size makes them hard to detect and filter out, and they disperse rapidly. By the time we realize they’re there, they’ve already spread far beyond the point of easy removal.
So… What Can We Do?
Let’s be real: solving the microplastic crisis isn’t going to happen overnight. But there are steps we can all take to make a difference.
Start with your wardrobe.
Fast fashion relies heavily on synthetic fibers. Opting for clothes made from natural materials like cotton, wool, or hemp not only supports more sustainable practices — it also reduces microfiber pollution.
Wash smarter.
Use microfiber-catching laundry bags or install filters on your washing machine. Bonus: it helps your clothes last longer too.
Ditch single-use plastics.
Reusable containers, water bottles, straws, and bags might seem small, but every plastic item we avoid adds up.
Support policies that protect waterways.
Push for legislation that bans microbeads, improves filtration in treatment plants, or holds polluting industries accountable.
Talk about it.
Awareness is key. The more people understand the scale of this issue, the more pressure we can apply to make change happen at every level, from personal habits to global policy.
The Geology Angle: A New Layer of the Earth
As a geologist, here’s the kicker: we’re not just polluting the present, we’re altering the future rock record. Microplastics are now being incorporated into sediment layers around the world. Future geologists might identify a distinct “plastic horizon” in Earth’s strata, marking the Anthropocene — our current age of human impact.
Think about that. We’re leaving behind a plastic fingerprint that will outlast us by millennia.
Final Thought (And a Wild Fact)
A recent study found microplastics in 100% of the sea turtles tested, and another found them in the placentas of unborn babies. If you needed a reason to care, maybe that’s it.
And if you’re still not convinced? Think about this: when you sit down to eat a piece of fish, you might also be eating the plastic it mistook for food. That’s full-circle irony... with a side of tartar sauce.