- Microplastics seep into rock layers, showing us that the emergence of plastics may actually be a sign of the beginning of the human age.
- Samples taken from lakes showed that microplastics could penetrate deep into the mud.
- The detected microplastics include plastics such as polyamide, polyethylene, polyurethane and polyvinyl acethane.
Microplastics do not only end up in animals, oceans and even deep within our bodies. Microplastics are also seeping into the layers of rocks. This shows us that the emergence of plastics may be a sign of the beginning of the human age. In a new study, sediment samples taken from three different lakes in Latvia – Seksu, Pinku and Usmas – were analyzed to analyze how deep microplastics could go in the lake. The results showed that smaller pieces of microplastic were able to penetrate deeper into the mud. This revealed to us that it could also reach the layers formed before the acceleration of plastic production in the world in the early 1950s.
Ecologist Inta Dimante-Deimantovica from the Latvian Institute of Aquatic Ecology and an international research team state that the presence of plastic in rock layers is an indicator of the prevalence of plastics in society. “We conclude that the interpretation of microplastic distribution in the sediment profiles examined is ambiguous and therefore does not definitively indicate the beginning of the Anthropocene Epoch,” the researchers wrote in their article. He included his statements.
The types of microplastic fragments detected include polyamide (used in areas such as the textile and automotive industry due to its durability), polyethylene (often found in packaging), polyurethane (found in foams and fibers) and polyvinyl acetate (found in adhesives).
These three lakes in Latvia were chosen because their sediments have been extensively studied and previously dated, the researchers say. This means the team can make sure that smaller plastic particles reach the deeper layers of the mud. “These findings demonstrate a definitive movement of microplastics downward in sediment profiles,” the researchers wrote. He made a statement.
The team notes that all kinds of factors, from the type of sediment material to the type of microplastic to environmental conditions, can actually affect this downward movement, making it difficult to study. But what is clear is that we are in a time when we cannot escape microplastics. Experts are still researching the effects of microplastics on our health, and this shows that microplastics are much more common than we thought.
“We estimate that approximately 9% of all plastic material ever produced has been recycled and 12% has been incinerated,” the researchers wrote. “This shows that more than 6,000 million metric tons of plastic have the potential to leak into the environment and enter natural cycles and food chains.” He made a statement.
Research, Science Advances It was published in the magazine.
Compiled by: Davut Bulut
