Microplastics

Context:

Microplastics in air enter plant leaves, pass to animals & humans: Study

Microplastics:

• Tiny plastic particles, typically less than 5mm in length, found in the environment.
• Originate from the fragmentation of larger plastic items and the direct release of small plastic particles
• Often added to consumer products like cosmetics and cleaning agents.
• Characteristics –
  • Persistent & highly mobile and difficult to remove.
  • Have Large Surface Area to Volume Ratio – As surface area increases, microplastics adsorb more contaminants and become more prone to fouling.
  • Often contain chemical additives that accumulate in water bodies over time
• Types –
  • Primary Microplastics –
    • Designed for commercial use, such as in cosmetics, and microfibers from clothing and textiles.
    • Enter into environment through product use, spills during manufacturing or transport, and abrasion during washing.
  • Secondary Microplastics –
    • Result from the breakdown of larger plastic items like water bottles.
    • Occurs through weathering, exposure to wave action, wind abrasion, and ultraviolet radiation from sunlight.
• Impacts –
  • Microplastics are not biodegradable and accumulate in the environment.
  • Ingested by marine organisms, causing harm and bioaccumulation along the food chain.
  • Can carry toxic chemicals and pollutants, posing additional risks to organisms and ecosystems.

Initiatives to Combat Microplastics:

• Global Partnership on Marine Litter (GPML) – Launched at the Earth Summit in 2012; aims to reduce and control marine litter, wastewater, and pollution from fertilizers.
• GloLitter Partnerships Project – Launched by the International Maritime Organization (IMO)and Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) to prevent and reduce marine plastic litter from shipping and fisheries.
• India-Specific Initiatives:
• Elimination of Single-Use Plastic
• Plastic Waste Management Rules, 2016 – Local bodies are made responsible for segregation, collection, processing, and disposal of plastic waste.
• Plastic Waste Management (Amendment) Rules, 2018 – Introduced the concept of Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR).
• Un-Plastic Collective (UPC) – Voluntary initiative launched by UNEP-India, Confederation of Indian Industry, and WWF-India.

Source: DTE

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Previous Year Question

As per the Solid Waste Management Rules, 2016 in India, which one of the following statements is correct?

[UPSC Civil Services Exam – 2019 Prelims]

(a) Waste generator has to segregate waste into 5 categories.
(b) The Rules are applicable to notified urban local bodies, notified towns and all industrial townships only.
(c) The Rules provide for exact and elaborate criteria for the identification of sites for landfills and waste processing facilities.
(d) It is mandatory on the part of the waste generator that the waste generated in one district cannot be moved to another district.

Answer: (c)

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