Sometimes, in the enormity of the global climate emergency, we forget about the importance of the small stuff.
In this case, it's our microplastics. With nano and microplastics in our waterways, oceans and water waste Deakin researchers are putting even the tiniest fragments of our waste under the microscope to see their impact.
So, what defines a microplastic? ARC DECRA Fellow, Dr Ludovic Dumee, from Deakin University’s Institute for Frontier Materials (IFM) explains microplastics are present in many of our everyday possessions.
Primary microplastics can be found in “cosmetic products or additives in materials, designed to be there in a specific shape and size”. Secondary microplastics are generated by polymeric plastic materials degradation such as plastic bottles and bags when exposed to specific aggressive environments or stress.
It is the breaking down of the plastic in these items that allows them to morph into something smaller and more difficult to avoid.
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