[RERUN] What are microplastics?

About this episode

There are tiny fragments of plastic pretty much everywhere in the ocean, in the ground and inside animals, including humans! These are known as microplastics, and their potential impact on human health and the environment is a cause for concern.  Microplastics aren’t a specific type of plastic per se. The term is used to refer to any fragments which are under 5 mm in length. Some examples are polystyrene, polypropylene, polythene and a bunch of other poly-things. They come from large plastic objects, like cosmetics or synthetic fabrics in clothing. The obvious example is on ocean floors, where scientists have estimated there are 14 million tonnes of microplastics. Where are microplastics spreading the most? There must be some protected locations out there, surely? Is it actually dangerous to consume plastic though? In under 3 minutes, we answer your questions! To listen to the latest episodes, click here: Is it dangerous if I get heart palpitations? Why do we get great ideas in the shower? Why do we see faces in inanimate objects? A Bababam Originals podcast, written and produced by Amber Minogue. In partnership with upday UK. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices