Written by NKU biological science student Hailey Ausbrooks
When you think of plastics, what comes to mind? Is it trash bags, your Amazon packaging, or the toothpaste you just washed down the sink? Microplastics can be found nearly everywhere, ranging from tires, road markings, bottled water, and groundwater (Cai et al. 2025). Microplastics are plastic particles that are between 2 and 5mm or a grain of rice.
You may be thinking, if the particle is small or so tiny we cannot see it, why is it a problem? Turns out, these particles can actually cause toxic health effects such as a decline in immune response, organ dysfunction, brain damage, increase risk of heart disease, contaminate breastmilk, and cause reproductive damage. Younger individuals and infants are more vulnerable since they are still in early development compared to adults. In animals, it can cause their liver to shut down, and decrease their ability to break down food, particularly fats. (Li et al. 2023).
If we recycle plastics, this should resolve the problem and prevent these effects from happening right? According to the Kentucky Division of Waste Management 2023 Fiscal Annual Report, Kentucky only has a 34.2% recycling rate, which is equivalent to 2,000,000 tons of recycled material. While the amount recycled has increased since 2022 from 26%, the overall trend still shows a decline in the amount recycled.
So what can we do? We can start by continuing to recycle plastics instead of tossing our water bottle into the landfill, switch to using re-usable bags instead of plastic bags at grocery stores, or use natural household cleaners to reduce waste. If you are not a water bottle person, switch to using a water filter in your homes. It will not only taste better, but will leave you healthier in the long run.
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