Micro-plastics and Nano-plastics Flashcards
What is the most visible interaction between organisms and plastic?
large plastic particles (what happens when they breakdown)
How can water fleas be used to monitor microplastics?
they are transparent so can view inside system add fluorescence to track movement
Similar genome so can predict how humans affected
What are ocean gyres also called?
ocean garbage patches as converging currents pull in rubbish
What will cause the breakdown of plastic in oceanss?
wave action and UV
What 2 types of anthropogenic microplastic source are there?
Primary
Secondary
What are primary microplastic sources? (with examples)
Product in micron scale
i.e. plastic pellets, industrial abrasives, 3D printing powder
What are secondary microplastics? (with examples)
the weathering or breakdown of plastic containing products
i.e., traffic emission, textiles, macro plastics
How do microplastics form from the secondary sources? (tyre, textile, macro)
Traffic- dust from vehicle tyre and road marking
Textile- washing fibres
Macro- fragmentation
What 10 rivers are the leading sources of plastic pollution?
Niger
Nile
Indus
Ganges
Yellow river
Hai He
Amur
Yangtze
Pearl River
Mekong
Why are the pollution values form the 10 most plastic polluted rivers disputed?
as samples is only a snapshot not representative of average as factors can easily dictate concentration
What are the ways in which plastic can be broken down?
Physical
Chemical
Biota
What physical processes breakdown plastics?
wave action
weathering
biofouling
sinking
What do chemicals dissolved in seawater do to plastic?
sorb to and concentrate plastic
What is bioaccumulation and biomagnification?
bioaccumulation is when pollution builds up in one organism
Biomagnification is an increase in pollution concentration up food chain
Is there are any formal definition of microplastics?
not currently (but maybe nay particle below 5mm)
