MICRO PLASTICS SPOTTED IN FISH AND WATER- EXPERTS

Tuesday, April 13th, 2021 | By

Micro plastics have been detected in Fish and water according to Noble Banadda a professor from Makerere University.

Professor Banadda says the study about Micro plastics is new and that the technology was not available until recently.  Banadda says they detected the micro plastics during a study being conducted by Makerere University and the University of Cambridge.

 In an interview with green radio Banadda said plastics take long to decompose but give off tiny materials measuring five millimeters.

He said these go into water and also contaminate fish and food.

Banadda says plastic pollution results in flooding and damage to coastal and marine ecosystems and is creating an unhealthy environment for local populations.

“Success will entail residents engaging in the separation of plastics from their regular waste as well as community members adopting better practices”, he said.

Banadda said many consumers are not aware how much plastic there may be in the personal care items they use daily on their faces and bodies. 

The professor says from the plastic in packaging to the under-5mm micro plastics hidden within the products, including beads or glitters; they are designed to wash down the drain, travel through rivers and ultimately end up in the sea.

Banadda says Micro plastics are too small to be filtered out by waste treatment plants and attract waterborne toxins and bacteria that stick to their surfaces.

In addition to endangering marine life, the health implications of micro plastics on humans are not yet fully known, but considering their prevalence in clothes, food, water and cosmetics, are expected to be far reaching.

Tiny pieces of degraded plastic, synthetic fibers and plastic beads, collectively called micro plastics, have turned up in every corner of the planet.

Both micro plastics and these chemicals may accumulate up the food chain, potentially impacting whole ecosystems, including the health of soils in which we grow our food. Micro plastics in the water we drink and the air we breathe can also hit humans directly.

Micro plastics could be a last straw for species subject to pressures as chemical pollutants, overfishing and climate change.