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    "en": "Microplastics are small plastic pieces less than five millimetres in length which can be harmful to the environment especially marine life. They originate from a variety of sources, including larger plastic debris that degrades into progressively smaller pieces (adapted from UNEP, 2016 and NOAA, no date). <br /> <p>UNEP, 2016. <a href=\"https://wedocs.unep.org/handle/20.500.11822/7720?show=full\">Marine plastic debris and microplastics: Global lessons and research to inspire action and guide policy change. United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP)</a>. Accessed 14 October 2020.</p>"
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      "Microplastics are routinely defined as small particles or fragments of plastic measuring less than 5 mm in length. Some microplastics are intentionally manufactured for industrial and domestic purposes (‘primary’ microplastics). These include ‘microbeads’ used in cosmetic and personal healthcare products, such as toothpaste. ‘Secondary’ microplastics are created by the weathering and fragmentation of larger plastic objects. Weathering and fragmentation are enhanced by exposure to ultraviolet (UV) irradiation. These processes become extremely slow in the absence of UV radiation, as is the case in much of the ocean. Plastics marked as ‘biodegradable’ degrade more slowly in the ocean (UNEP, 2016). Nanoparticles are a form of marine debris, the significance of which is only now emerging. They are minuscule particles with dimensions of 1 to 100 nanometres (a nanometre is one millionth of a millimetre). A large proportion of the nanoparticles found in the ocean are of natural origin. It is the anthropogenic nanoparticles that are of concern. These originate from two sources: (i) nanoparticles created intentionally for use in industrial processes and cosmetics and (ii) from the breakdown of plastics in marine debris, from fragments of artificial fabrics discharged into urban wastewater, and through leaching from land-based waste sites (NOAA, 2021). Recent scientific research has highlighted the potential environmental impacts of plastic nanoparticles. For example, they appear to reduce primary production and the uptake of food by zooplankton and filter-feeders. Nanoparticles of titanium dioxide, which is widely used in paints and metal coatings and in cosmetics, are of particular concern. When nanoparticles of titanium dioxide are exposed to UV radiation from the sun, they transform into a disinfectant and have been shown to kill phytoplankton, which are the basis of primary production in the ocean. The scale of the threat from nanoparticles is unknown, and further research is required (UN, 2017). About half the global population lives within 100 km of a coastline, and population growth is greatest in that zone. This means the amount of plastic debris entering the ocean from land-based sources is likely to increase unless significant changes are made to waste management practices on land (UNEP, no date)."
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