The amount of micro-plastic on the sea floor, shocked scientists

We All say that nature is polluted with human waste. It is really so. Around us lots of dumps, which are constantly replenished. Something, bypassing the landfill (or them) falls into the ocean and floats there in the form of trash Islands, which many have heard. And then there are the microplastics, which is also a lot of arguing, then calling it safe for health, it is frightening that it is as dangerous to our body and entire ecosystems of our planet. Now we're not going to put at the forefront of the investigation of the fact how dangerous it is, and just talk about how much micro-plastic on the seabed. I'll tell you that much. But how much?

How the garbage is in the ocean

Great difficulties for the garbage to get to the bottom of the ocean (or on its surface) no. Anything that gets in the ocean, is not just in the bowl with the still liquid, but literally inside a living organism that constantly shifts and moves its waters. We used to call it currents.

ocean Currents are different. Some carry water horizontally, and some — vertically. It is connected with the peculiarities of topography and climate. Sometimes we are not able to notice these trends, but to say that they are not wrong. And they are much more than we know.

Everyone has heard about the Gulf stream, which creates the flow of water in the Atlantic ocean, but there are some trends that have not feel no man or ship. But the plastic bottle which are not in a hurry, this over calmly carries the ocean and nails, typically about one and the same place. So there are huge piles of garbage in the open ocean.

These pictures frighten and oppress.

All we have left on the beach, dropped (or thrown) overboard, will drift in the ocean until then, until you dissolve. With plastic it will happen very soon.

How many micro-plastic on the bottom of the ocean

Not so long ago a group of scientists from the University of Manchester published the findings of its research on how and in what quantities of ingested microplastics on the seabed.

For the experiment, they used special tanks that simulated water flows. So they found a kind of underwater currents, which carried away the microscopic particles of plastic from coastal areas into the sea.

In addition to laboratory research conducted in conjunction with colleagues from other research organizations, scientists took samples of sediment from the bottom of the Mediterranean sea, to understand how many micro-plastic on it. But at the same time would be able to understand how the microplastics was there and is there anything I can do to stop the process of formation of this layer.

Sooner or later it can be inside our body.

In the end, having inspected and examined the material collected in special laboratory equipment, scientists have learned about how much is contained in micro-plastic samples that they collected from the seabed. They also figure resulted not in grams or kilograms and number of particles. It amounted to almost 2 million particles. How is exactly is hard to say, but the fact that it is very much clear and with no other exact numbers.

Scientists were surprised to this fact and noted that even famous Islands of garbage are not as scary as the number of micro-plastic on the seabed.

Almost all of us have heard about the infamous Islands of mountains of debris that float in the ocean and consist mainly of plastic, but a high concentration that micro-plastic on the seabed very much surprised us. says the study's lead author Yang Kane of the University of Manchester. — We found that micro-plastic particles extend a powerful sea currents, and are not distributed evenly across the bottom. In certain areas they are concentrated in significantly large quantities.

What are microplastics, and what it consists of?

Additionally, the researchers conducted an analysis of what it consists of microplastics and what structure it has. As a result, they came to the conclusion that most of what they have found is the fibers of clothing and other textiles. Rather, they seeped through the filters of sewage treatment plants and then through the waste water fell into the sea. Of course, part of this kind of waste fell into the sea directly, but it is still less.

So of microplastics into the water.

The seabed is not uniform and not constant. All due to the fact that current it is constantly changing. In the end, the same , and moves together with sand, vegetation, microorganisms and remains of marine life.

The Plastic, unfortunately, was a new type of sludge which is distributed on the sea floor along with dirt, sand and nutrients – say researchers.

Perhaps, scientists can better determine how and where on the seabed appear , but it is unlikely to be able to change the picture of the world and reduce its formation. First, the microplastics, which are already on the seabed, is not going anywhere for hundreds of years, and they will feed on fish that feed us.Second, it is unlikely that the understanding of the origin of plastic will greatly reduce his level of education. Will still be allowable leakage and the human factor, which can spoil everything.

Therefore, the results of such studies are useful rather in order that we ourselves realized . She's one of us, but we it can change. Therefore it is necessary to treat it more carefully. And ”one person cannot change anything” does not work here. Everyone contributes to pollution, but he can cut him.

of Microplastics in the water very dangerous, even despite the fact that he «micro».