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WRIT 101 - Public Argument

Water bottles, toothpaste, phone cases, packages, cars, and toys; what do all these things have in
common? Plastic! Plastics are ubiquitous in our daily lives and their impacts on the environment are
beginning to become evident. Large pieces of plastic are not the only concern, as plastic degrades
into continuously smaller and smaller pieces microplastics continue to be formed I'm wondering if
there would be a way to clear up the end of this sentence?. Microplastics are defined as plastics that
are smaller than 5mm in their smallest dimension. Recently scientists have uncovered evidence of
adverse effects of such plastics on both humans and the environment. Microplastics have even
already been confirmed inside the human body, in the air, water, food, and even in remote areas
such as the Alps or and? the Arctic. Microplastics are harmful to both the human body and the
environment, thus it is important to be aware of and determine the extent to which microplastics are
harmful and consider possible solutions. This first paragraph is looking really great!

Parallels between particulate pollution and microplastics are a particularly concerning connection
that scientists have made recently as it means that there is potential for a wide arrange array? of
bodily symptoms including cancer. Particulate pollution such as that created by vehicles has been
studied extensively and proven to cause adverse health effects that may end up being similar to
those of microplastics. Researchers Dick Vethaak and Juliette Legler state, “Small particles (<2.5 µm),
such as those from diesel exhaust, are capable of crossing cell membranes and triggering oxidative
stress and inflammation and have been linked with increased risk of death from cardiovascular and
respiratory diseases or lung cancer.” does this quote need an in text citation? This parallel means
that microplastics are extraordinarily harmful and will lower life expectancies as well as quality of
life for millions of people as their environmental concentrations increase (see chat). It will be
paramount in coming years to continue to research both particulate and microplastic pollution to be
aware of the impacts on our bodies.

Microplastics have also been found in baby poop! good transition sentence, I was not expecting that
lol The last thing that new parents want is to hear about are the numerous ways in which their child
may be in danger or at risk of any number of health conditions;. however, With microplastics in the
picture, however, it is very possible that babies are subject to dangerous conditions before they are
even brought into the world. Microplastics have been found inside placentas of healthy pregnancies,
and researchers are extraordinarily concerned about the impacts they may have on developing
babies. One researcher, Kurunthachalam Kannan even said, “I strongly believe that these chemicals
do affect early life stages … That’s a vulnerable period.” does this need citation? Microplastics are
also believed to be endocrine disruptors, meaning that they may increase or decrease natural
hormone levels within the body as it develops. Disruptions to these vital hormones can cause an
array a variety of developmental issues that are of utmost concern to researchers and parents. I feel
like this last sentence could go better at the beginning of thee next paragraph! Implications of
microplastics however don’t stop within the human body as they extend to the environment as well. 
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Microplastics in the ocean are introducing a unique environmental consideration. There is so much
garbage in the ocean that formation of garbage patches has occurred. Experts have been tracking
the ways which climate change will change the currents, locations, and water temperatures in
relation to these garbage patches and warn that it is important to keep tabs on such trends so that
we can be proactive on the changing issue. Plastic garbage patches in the ocean are also a concern
since as that plastic the plastic degrades it will become microplastics that will only continue to
increase in concentration as the plastics continue to degrade even further and new plastics are
added. These microplastics will continue to be present in our water sources and have even made
their way into our food as fish and other marine life eat them.  

We are eating, drinking, and even breathing in plastic pieces every day. As many as where did you
get this number from? 74,000 particles every year, and this number may be even higher if you drink
water from plastic bottles! This multitude of plastic begs the question of safety for our bodies. With
all the places that microplastic have been found in the world around each one of us it is difficult to
argue that they will not have adverse effects on our health and the health of the environment.
Something must be done to mitigate this issue before concentrations of microplastics reach a critical
point. While it may still be questionable what exact effects microplastics have on the human body
and the environment, they undoubtedly have adverse effects to some degree. Action is required, and
microplastics are only one of the many types of pollutants that are threatening the future. Initiatives
to clean the ocean, reduce single-use plastic use, and being mindful of the products you are buying
are all ways which we can look out for our health as well as the health of future generations and the
planet.

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