Microplastic pollution
A fine kettle of fish
Whether and how microplastics in the oceans are affecting (our) life.
Paper English
VWO 6
,Table of Contents
Introduction........................................................................................................................3
Microplastics.......................................................................................................................4
Causes of microplastic pollution..........................................................................................5
Consequences on marine life...............................................................................................7
Consequences on mankind..................................................................................................8
Conclusion..........................................................................................................................9
Bibliography......................................................................................................................10
Annex................................................................................................................................11
Article 1.......................................................................................................................................11
Article 2.......................................................................................................................................14
Article 3.......................................................................................................................................18
2
, Introduction
I’ve always been interested in the environment and every aspect that’s been associated with
our ecological footprint specifically. I find environmental issues fascinating, especially the
role of pollution that has taken its toll on our environment and the way we live. In my
opinion, nature has a very important role in this world and it’s crucial for our existence, since
mankind heavily relies and depends on nature’s resources. I have signed up for Future Planet
Studies at the UVA university in Amsterdam, in which durability and the water and food
industry and how they relate to each other, will be researched in many of its subjects. It is a
study that revolves around the environment, and is one of the reasons why I have chosen
pollution of the ocean by microplastics to elaborate on in my paper. I wrote an essay in
French about microplastics and elaborated on the same subject in my research project for
Geography. It’s a very important and relevant topic, currently researched by scientists
globally. In October 2019, the first Plastic Health Summit was held in Amsterdam. It’s been
the first worldwide conference ever about microplastics and all aspects around it, focussing
on health problems that microplastics are destined to cause. At this conference,
intermediate results were presented from fifteen Dutch scientific researches, which I will
elaborate on in this paper (Plastic Soup Foundation, 2019). My paper is mainly based on the
globally wide and continuously discussed topic “Whether and how microplastics in the
oceans are affecting (our) life.” To answer this research thesis, the following sub-questions
will be answered:
What are microplastics?
How do microplastics end-up in the ocean?
What is the effect of microplastic pollution on marine life?
What are the effects of microplastic pollution of the ocean on mankind?
3
A fine kettle of fish
Whether and how microplastics in the oceans are affecting (our) life.
Paper English
VWO 6
,Table of Contents
Introduction........................................................................................................................3
Microplastics.......................................................................................................................4
Causes of microplastic pollution..........................................................................................5
Consequences on marine life...............................................................................................7
Consequences on mankind..................................................................................................8
Conclusion..........................................................................................................................9
Bibliography......................................................................................................................10
Annex................................................................................................................................11
Article 1.......................................................................................................................................11
Article 2.......................................................................................................................................14
Article 3.......................................................................................................................................18
2
, Introduction
I’ve always been interested in the environment and every aspect that’s been associated with
our ecological footprint specifically. I find environmental issues fascinating, especially the
role of pollution that has taken its toll on our environment and the way we live. In my
opinion, nature has a very important role in this world and it’s crucial for our existence, since
mankind heavily relies and depends on nature’s resources. I have signed up for Future Planet
Studies at the UVA university in Amsterdam, in which durability and the water and food
industry and how they relate to each other, will be researched in many of its subjects. It is a
study that revolves around the environment, and is one of the reasons why I have chosen
pollution of the ocean by microplastics to elaborate on in my paper. I wrote an essay in
French about microplastics and elaborated on the same subject in my research project for
Geography. It’s a very important and relevant topic, currently researched by scientists
globally. In October 2019, the first Plastic Health Summit was held in Amsterdam. It’s been
the first worldwide conference ever about microplastics and all aspects around it, focussing
on health problems that microplastics are destined to cause. At this conference,
intermediate results were presented from fifteen Dutch scientific researches, which I will
elaborate on in this paper (Plastic Soup Foundation, 2019). My paper is mainly based on the
globally wide and continuously discussed topic “Whether and how microplastics in the
oceans are affecting (our) life.” To answer this research thesis, the following sub-questions
will be answered:
What are microplastics?
How do microplastics end-up in the ocean?
What is the effect of microplastic pollution on marine life?
What are the effects of microplastic pollution of the ocean on mankind?
3
