Last September, the the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) held the first international conference about the newly-emerging “micro-plastics” problem.
Microplastics are defined as plastic pieces or fragments smaller than 5 millimeters. Microplastics have the potential to harm more organisms than larger plastic particles alone because they can be found in the water column and sea bed.
Sources of microplastics include both the small plastic particles used in products like body washes and cosmetics and the weathering of larger plastic flotsam and jetsam such as plastic bags and bottles.
As plastic items break down toxic additives they contain, such as flame retardants, antimicrobials, and plasticizers, are released into the ocean. Plastic acts like a sponge and collects other organic pollutants, such as PCBs. Microplastic particles have been shown to hold concentrations of PCBs more than 1 million times higher than those in the surrounding water, making them quite the toxic “fish food”.
We hope you’ll keep this in mind and be sure to recycle your plastics appropriately. It’s also a reason we tout for using rash guard shirts instead of sunscreen and the plastic bottles it comes in. 
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