Contamination found across UK lakes and rivers, in US groundwater, along Spanish coast, and (1)___________ dangerous bacteria in Singapore.
NOAA - the guardian - Reading levels B1 - B2 🇬🇧
Plastic is the most prevalent type of marine (2)__________ found in our oceans and Great Lakes. It comes in all shapes and sizes, but those that are less than five millimeters in length are called “microplastics.”
Microplastics come from a variety of sources, including from larger plastic remains that degrades into smaller pieces. In addition, microbeads, a type of microplastic, are very tiny pieces of manufactured polyethylene plastic that are added as exfoliants to health and beauty products, such as some (3)____________ and toothpastes. Plastic microbeads first appeared in personal care products about fifty years ago, replacing natural ingredients. These tiny particles easily pass through water filtration systems and end up in the ocean and Great Lakes, posing a potential threat to aquatic life.
On December 28, 2015, President Obama signed the Microbead-Free Waters Act of 2015, banning plastic microbeads in cosmetics and personal care products.
Microplastic pollution (4)___________ the world, according to new studies. Humans are known to consume the tiny plastic particles via food and water, they were revealed in 2017 to be in tap water around the world, but the possible health effects on people and ecosystems have yet to be determined. One study, in Singapore, has found that microplastics can harbour harmful microbes.
Research by the National University of Singapore found more than 400 types of bacteria on 275 pieces of microplastic collected from local beaches. They included (5)____________ that cause gastroenteritis and wound infections in humans, as well as those linked to the bleaching of coral reefs.
Microplastics have been found in human (6)______________ for the first time. Up to 9 different plastics were found out of 10 varieties tested for, in particles of sizes ranging from 50 to 500 micrometres. Polypropylene and polyethylene were the plastics most commonly found. Of particular concern is what this means to patients with gastrointestinal diseases.
Based on this study, the authors estimated that “more than 50% of the world population might have microplastics in their stools” The people studied kept a food diary that showed they were all exposed to plastics by consuming food wrapped in plastic or drinking from plastic bottles.
Plastic use is so (7)___________ in modern life that removing it entirely would be extremely difficult. A million plastic bottles are bought around the world every minute and the number is expected to jump another 20% by 2021.
The new analysis in the UK found microplastic pollution in all 10 lakes, rivers and reservoirs sampled. More than 1,000 small pieces of plastic per litre were found in the River Tame, near Manchester, which was revealed last year as the most contaminated place yet tested worldwide.
The River Thames in London was found to have about 80 microplastic particles per litre, as was the River Cegin in North Wales. The Blackwater River in Essex had 15. Ullswater has 30 and the Llyn Cefni reservoir on Anglesey 40.
Microplastics have been shown to harm marine life when mistaken for food and were found inside every marine mammal studied in a recent UK survey. Other recent studies have found microplastics in bottom-living creatures and along the Mediterranean coast of Spain.
Microplastics have also been found underground in limestone aquifers in Illinois, US, at a level of 15 particles per litre. This type of groundwater source provides about a quarter of the world’s drinking water.
Pressure for action is growing. Earlier this year the European parliament voted for an EU-wide ban on microplastics in cosmetics. The European commission has also proposed a ban on single-use plastic products such as cotton buds and plastic straws and urged member countries to put the focus on (8)_____________of waste in an effort to clean up oceans. By 2025, European nations are supposed to collect 90% of single-use plastic drink bottles.
Critics, however, say such measures are late and inadequate to deal with a problem that has reached epic proportions.
EXERCISES
1. Put the words in the blank spaces
a. bugs b. cleansers c. stools d. debris
e. getting rid f. spans g. harbouring h. pervasive
2. Find in the text the synonims to the following words:
INJURY PICKED UP QUESTIONNARE PRESENTING
COVERED WITH PAPER PROHIBITING WIDESPREAD
3. choose A, B, C from the following questions
1. In the video "welcome to Australia's plastic beach" what object does she find she wasn't expecting to?
a.- thungs
b.- plastic straws
c.- a toy
2. In the video what's the problem with plastic bags...
a.- they don't deteriorate
b.- they come apart in tiny pieces
c.- there are not enough biodagradable bags
3.- According to the video, what's the biggest problem with microplastics?
a.- that they are more widespread because they are smaller
b.- that their number has increased
c.- that they are poisonous
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