Microplastic Pollution
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Basics
- A Form of Pollution caused by small to microscopic particles of plastic
- Not too conclusive on effects yet
- Has been proven to bioaccumulate in fish
- Has some evidence to show this effects the fish (need to see how much)
- No obious issue (like silent spring was to ddt etc) yet, but research is ongoing
- Also need to see if that leads to offgassing/breaking down into other pollutants
Papers on How Much harm Is Caused
- Not too much to humans(?)
- What animals, marine vs land based etc
Sources
- Breaking Down of Larger Plastics (mainly relevant in areas like the "Pacific Garbage Patch" )
- Spillage of stored plastic flakes, granuals, or dust
- Workspace dust production, especially if no efforts are taken to reduce, and it is allowed to spread/be "tracked" out (need better term, getting stuck in shoes and moving essentially)
Reduction Strategies
- Reduce Number Of Cuts In Plastic via Contious Design Decisions
- Try and Make Toolpaths Produce Ships or Continous Strands, Not dust
Mitigation Strategies
- Vacuum dust/chip collection on tools
- Use wet machinign to make it into a disposable liquid, not a loose solid/aerosol
- Work over surfaces, and sweep afterwards (use small dropcloths/tarps if outside (like cutting a small pvc pipe) )
- Do passive/fanless airionizers help?
- Forced Air Filtration
- Use Dust Mats and Similar Technology at enterences and exits
- have dedicated sections of the shop dedicated to high dust processes, and have these technologies in place/to a higher stadard in there