Micro plastics
- According to recent study Maldives beaches have the most Micro plastics in the world.
- These are small pieces of plastic, less than 5 mm in length, that occur in the environment as a consequence of plastic pollution.
- The debris can be of any size and shape, but those which are less than 5 mm in length (or about the size of a sesame seed) are called micro plastics.
- Micro plastics come from a variety of sources, including from larger plastic debris that degrades into smaller and smaller pieces.
- In addition, micro beads, a type of Micro plastic, are very tiny pieces of manufactured polyethylene plastic that are added as exfoliants to health and beauty products.
- The problem with micro plastics is that, like plastic items of any size, they do not readily break down into harmless molecules.
- Plastics can take hundreds or thousands of years to decompose and in the meantime, wreak havoc on the environment.
- On beaches, micro plastics are visible as tiny multi-coloured plastic bits in sand.
