Question 80 What are two distinct sources of microplastic particles? What are tw

Question

Question 80

What are two distinct sources of microplastic particles? What are two types of plastic material commonly found in microplastic particles Why can microplastic particles sorb high log K_ow compounds and why is this a problem? What is a "nurdle" used for, and is it a microplastic? What is a "gyre" and how does it relate to microplastics? For microplastics, the environmental half life is generally measured in at least (circle one or two adjacent time frames) days weeks months years decades centuries milllenia

Explanation / Answer

80.

Gyres are centers of convergence of multiple currents in the ocean. There are five major oceanic gyres in the world, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, and they form when ocean currents create a circular pattern of water movement, allowing things to congregate in the middle. The most well studied and well known of these gyres is a convergence of currents in the Pacific Ocean near Hawaii.This gyre accumulates the plastics in the sea and Plastics take hundreds of years to biodegrade, or break down until they no longer really exist. The amount of plastic thrown out every day, even with the prevalence of recycling in many cities and cultures, is massive. Although it will not disappear altogether, plastic garbage does break down into small pieces referred to as microplastics. Microplastics are extremely dangerous because they are small enough to invade and destroy all types of organisms, big and small. Plants, protists, and other microbes use microplastics as substrate on which to grow. Microplastics leech into the bloodstreams of fish and marine mammals. Sea turtles and sea birds consume microplastics accidentally as they feed. Large pieces of marine debris are often sources of entanglement or accidental consumption, but microplastics are impossible to avoid. Accidental consumption of microplastics can occur in every gulp an animal takes; microplastics have become ubiquitous and lethal, especially as they accumulate in nutrient-rich areas of intense biodiversity.

Related Questions

Navigate

• Browse (All)
• Browse Q
• Subjects

---

---

Integrity-first tutoring: explanations and feedback only — we do not complete graded work. Learn more.