Microplastics in the Ocean are a Rising Threat: Scientists Concerned About Their Spread

Microplastics are microscopic particles of plastic debris, often found in face wash or simply created from broken down plastics. Yet researchers have found that their presence is far more widespread in the oceans than thought and that they could have potential physical and toxicological risks for organisms.

Microplastics have been documented in all five of the world's ocean's subtropical gyres. In fact, they've even been found in Artic sea ice, and some of the highest accumulations have been discovered thousands of miles from land. These pieces of plastic have also been found in organisms that range in size from small invertebrates to large mammals, and are known to concentrate toxic chemicals already present in seawater.

"Our scientific understanding of this environmental problem is accelerating rapidly, with many new research efforts that go well beyond simply documenting the presence of plastic in the ocean," said Kara Lavender Law of Sea Education Association, in a news release.

Most studies look at how many microplastics are present on the surface of the ocean. Yet there still remain many questions when it comes to how much of these microplastics are accumulating on the seafloor. What is apparent, though, is that something has to be done in order to curb the amount of microplastics in the oceans.

"We have been conducting an unintended experiment with the addition of large amounts of this manmade material into the environment," said Law. "But this is a solvable problem. By each of us making small changes in our daily habits-by carrying reusable water bottles and coffee mugs, for example-we can collectively reduce our dependence on 'disposable' items that might ultimately be lost to the environment."

Currently, policy initiatives have gained momentum at municipal, state, and national levels in the U.S. In June, Illinois passed legislation banning microbeads. As microplastics continue to filter into the world's oceans, though, it's important to push more policies forward.