February 10, 2021
Nadimul Haque makes a Special Mention on research showing microplastics having entered our food chain
FULL TRANSCRIPT
Sir, I lay on the table my Special Mention on research showing microplastics have now become a part of the food chain.
Research shows contamination of the Indian seas with microplastics, and when microplastics enter the marine food web at the lower levels, they can move up the food chain as bigger species eat smaller ones.
According to the UN, as up to 12 million tonnes of plastic are swept into the oceans globally, high levels of microplastics are now found in rivers and oceans. Various studies have reported up to 600 microplastic particles per kilogram of salt and up to 660 microplastic fibres per kilogram of honey.
Research says microplastics are known as endocrine disruptors and are implicated in numerous health challenges like diabetes, cancer and obesity. These findings are yet another wake-up call to the fact that prevention is better than cure; it surely helps reduce the inescapable problems in the future.
It is a social responsibility for everyone to reduce the usage of plastics and thereby bring down the entry of microplastics into the food chain. However, the government needs to address this issue immediately, set up research centres, examine various studies and build an institute to monitor this issue in the future.
To begin with, the government can promote refuse reuse and recycling of products by individuals, and seek alternatives and support programmes, such as India Clean-Up Day to stop plastic waste from entering our environment in the first place, and ensuring it doesn’t then become embedded in our precious oceans and landing up in the food chain.
I urge the government to provide insights into this issue and find solutions to tackle this menace.
