Microplastic

Microplastic can be created from big plastic products that are slowly dissolving into smaller and smaller pieces over time. But there's also microplastics that are called primary microplastics that are already small when produced. Microplastics can be found almost everywhere and since they are so small, most of the time they go through the treatment plant and straight out in to the ocean. Today there's plastic everywhere in the ocean even in the deepest parts.

Primary microplastic can be found in our clothing, skincare and laundry detergent. A lot of people probably don't know that their product they use daily has plastic in them. When you look on the table of contents it doesn't says that it contains plastic. Instead of plastic they writ other words for it like polytene and acrylic. But if you see ingredients that has the word poly in it that means in contains primary microplastic. (havet.nu, 2019) Microplastic can also contain high levels of environmentally toxoids. This can be very dangerous for our marina animal life. Today the scientists and experts are unsure of how bad it is for the animals. But they are all sure that it will cause big problem with our ocean if the situation doesn´t change. (Naturvårdsverket.se, 2020)

I have done some intervjus with some teenagers and to see how much they actually know about today's microplastic problem.

Lily-rose Josefsson 16 didn´t know that most of the clothes she wears daily is made out of microplastic and whenever she washes them small microplastics are released into the ocean. she says, "it really should be clearer when you buy clothes that are made out of these materials when you buy them."

We humans are highest up in the society so therefore it takes a long time for the consequences to affect us but already today we are strongly affected by the ocean. The water and fishes we eat are living in oceans that filled of garbage. Weekly we humans get plastic into our bodies in the size of a credit card through our food and water. When I told Astrid Johansson 14 years old this she says "I think is scary how the oceans have been affected by us humans especially since we are relying on it and it's such big factor in the society.

When I asked her what she thinks is the biggest reasons that our ocean are in the situation they are in today she says " I think it´s because almost everyone does something small like throwing a straw in the street and thinking its okay because it´s just a little thing, but when it all adds up it causes big problems".

To change the situation everyone must help and something. There's a lot of thing you can do to help. Like but clothes of more sustainable materials and wash your clothes in washbags. Try to make small changes in your everyday that will benefit the world and the ocean. We are relying on the ocean for food, tourism and transporting so it´s important that we are taking care of it.

Alice Lundin 

Anna H Svensson (2017) den dolda plasten i dina kläder - så förpestar den haven

https://www.svt.se/nyheter/inrikes/den-dolda-plasten-i-dina-klader-sa-forpestar-den-havet [29 mars 2020]

WWF (2019) Så mycket mikroplast får vi i oss - som att äta ett kreditkort i veckan

https://www.wwf.se/pressmeddelande/sa-mycket-mikroplast-far-vi-i-oss-som-att-ata-ett-kreditkort-i-veckan-3334499/ [29 mars 2020]