Our modern world is littered with more than visible environmental damage but also with silent, invisible killers: microplastics. These particles, ranging in size from 5 millimeters to 1 nanometer,come from countless forms of human manufacturing–either placed intentionally in products or broken down over time–spreading into everything and everyone. They’re in our drinking water, air, food, and bodies.

Through weathering, digestion, and mechanical breakdown, they become almost undetectable, yet remain harmful to our health and the wellbeing of our ecosystems. While microplastics are undeniably dangerous, they also show up in bizarre, shocking, even borderline comical places. Here are five microplastic factual phenomena to bewilder you.

1) Mount Everest Is Not Above Plastic

Microplastics that have been discovered on Everest’s peak represent the highest elevation that plastic has ever been found. A 2020 study revealed that particles in snow samples from just below Everest’s peak held concentrations with up to 12 microplastics per liter.

A place like Mount Everest is considered to be a remote, untouchable, glacial heaven — hard to reach and should be even harder to pollute. But the fact that plastics are embedded in its snow reveals how far-reaching and persistent our pollution is. At 27,700 feet, even the sacred Himalayas are now safe  with microplastics.

2) Brushing Up — On Pollution 

Toothpaste includes many additives to enhance its visual appeal, but one of the most shocking ingredients is polyethylene, a common plastic chemical. They make up those decorative blue particles found inside some tubes which are partly made of calculated plastic material. These “cutesy” strips consist of enough calculated plastic material to turn a head or a hundred. We are choosing some pizazz in our toothpaste over our health.

You’d hope that a product for gum and tooth health would use only natural components, but wellness isn’t the only goal in the toothpaste industry. Toothpaste brands release 0.199 billion microbeads per year with polyethylene as a component in pursuit of a more appealing look. Microplastics definitely do not aid dental hygiene as much as we are led to believe. 

3) Bugs and The Plastic They Lug!

While the breaking down of plastics seems like a process that would not be harmful, it is even more abnormal that certain insects can even digest microplastics at all. Superworms, Waxworms, Rice Moths and other plastivore insects can break down plastics through a process called biofragmentation. 

The process begins in the guts of microorganisms , cleaving plastic polymers into smaller units. But these plastics don’t vanish, they’re excreted into smaller microplastics that pose even greater environmental risks. Once the insects die, they leave behind even finer fragments that continue to pollute the planet. What we would hope was their  “superpower” only helps plastic go deeper into the ecosystem.

4) Microplastics Live… Before Life

Yes, microplastics can be traced within almost everything, but there are some regions of the world where the presence of artificial materials feels increasingly eerie. One of these ominous identifications of plastic is the unborn human placenta. 

The placenta is an organ that grows during pregnancy in order to provide support to the developing fetus. By definition, the placenta removes waste products while supplying oxygen and nutrients. That is why it is completely terrifying that man-made polymers can be found in a human appendage designed to eliminate malevolence and impurity. 

It is a tissue defined by rebirth and new beginnings — and before the child is born it is propagated with stained polypropylene and other man-made coatings like paint and other harmful chemicals. These substances that do not belong in humans, let alone the exalted process of pregnancy. 

5) Our Genes Are Microplastic Schemes 

We know microplastics are inside us, but the fact that they can change who we are is rarely discussed. When they’re small enough, they can enter the bloodstream or lymphatic system and cause cellular toxicity, damage, stress, and death, disrupting normal cell function.

Additionally, microplastics interfere with DNA binding, especially during fertilization. Polyethylene particles in the bloodstream can trigger chromosomal aberrations, leading to genetic disorders. These microscopic invaders aren’t just pollution, they’re roadblocks to human development. 

Microplastics can even deteriorate our DNA by causing “clastogenesis and aneugenesis at the chromosome level.” They may shape not only what our world looks like, but what you look like, what you care about, and what you’re made of. 

Microplastic are silently invading our planet, our bodies, and our thoughts. Join EARTHDAY.ORG’s movement to reduce plastic pollution by signing the Global Plastic Treaty petition , demanding  governments drastically reduce plastic production. Choose plastic-free or reduced-plastic products whenever possible, and support local clean-up efforts through the Great Global Cleanup.

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Why Mangroves Matter

July 26 is International Day for the Conservation of the mangrove ecosystem – often known as “Mangrove Day.” The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) founded this day in 2015 to highlight the crucial importance of the mangrove ecosystem and all they cultivate, and highlight ways to protect our precious mangrove habitats. 

Mangrove forests are found in the world’s coastal tropical and subtropical regions and famously their meandering, overlapping, and magical roots are known to allow many land and marine species to survive. Here’s why mangroves are so special.

Soil Is Thicker Than Blood

Mangroves do more than just grow — they serve as vital protectors of the environment. Their dense roots act as natural barriers, holding soil in place and creating an interconnected ecological system between our oceans and the land. 

They develop intricate networks of prop roots and pneumatophores, specialized aerial roots that grow upward from underground to aid in gas exchange. Together, these root structures help slow coastal erosion caused by ocean waves, stabilizing shorelines and preserving fragile ecosystems. Mangrove roots form a natural barrier against potential wave destruction. 

This is especially important in coastal areas at risk from tides, which continually move mud and nutrients between the land and sea. Without the stabilizing network of mangrove roots, these tidal actions could strip away rich soils and vital nutrients, leaving the land thinner, weaker, and less able to support healthy forests.

Mangrove Tree Species

There are about 80 species of mangrove tree. From Red Mangrove (Rhizophora mangle) recognizable by its distinctive stilt-like roots that provide stability and support in muddy, tidal zones. Black Mangrove (Avicennia germinans), White Mangrove (Laguncularia racemosa), typically found in slightly higher, less waterlogged areas compared to red and black mangroves. 

Mangrove trees are uniquely adapted to survive in brackish and saltwater environments, with their root systems capable of surviving periods of submersion in seawater. While their specialized roots can handle these saline conditions, as well as frequent flooding, their canopies grow above the waterline. It is as if they grow  half in and half out of the salty water line. 

Bio-diversity Hotspots

Not surprisingly this ‘half in and half out’ ability means mangrove forests are rich in biodiversity, allowing for thousands of species to thrive by offering food, shelter, and nesting grounds for both terrestrial and aquatic animals. 

Birds nest in their high branches, monkeys forage in the trees and among the roots, and countless fish and crustaceans use the submerged roots for protection as they mature. 

For example mangrove forests, such as the Sundarbans, in India, provide critical habitat for the endangered Bengal tiger, one of the few tiger populations that is adapted to thrive in this unique environment.  These special forests also offer shelter to endangered species like manatees, by serving as vital nursery grounds. Acting as safe spaces in coastal ecosystems, mangroves protect young manatees and juvenile sharks by providing a refuge for them while they are small and still growing, before they are large enough to venture into deeper waters. The mangroves’ dense root systems, submerged in the ocean, make it impossible for larger predators to hunt amongst them. 

This intricate web of life makes mangrove forests essential sanctuaries for wildlife of all kinds. Mangroves stand out as one of nature’s richest habitats, all tied together by distinctive and resilient mangrove tree species.

Carbon Sinks & Climate Shields

In addition to providing a home for thousands of species—from Bengal tigers and monkeys to sharks, manatees, birds, and insects—mangrove forests are powerful carbon sinks that play a crucial role in combating climate change. 

Most significantly, mangrove forests can sequester carbon at up to four times the rate of terrestrial forests, storing vast amounts of dead organic matter and carbon within their soils—a process made possible by the slow-decaying, oxygen-poor mud they are able to grow in.

This often pitch-black soil that mangroves grow in along tropical coastlines are regularly flooded by the tides, meaning they contain very little oxygen—whihc would be a serious challenge for most plants. But mangroves have evolved specialized roots,  pneumatophores (which essentially act like snorkels sticking up out of the mud), to help them access the oxygen they need from the air. This thick, organic-rich mud isn’t just inhospitable—it also plays a key role in storing carbon and supporting the vast biodiversity found in mangrove ecosystems.

This action means mangroves remove more carbon dioxide from the atmosphere than they emit, helping slow global warming while supporting rich and varied wildlife. By protecting and restoring mangrove forests, we safeguard not just countless species but also a vital tool for stabilizing our climate.

Trees are Cultural Ties

Furthermore, mangrove forests are vital to local communities. Mangroves provide habitat for many species, many of which are food for local communities. This can be as simple as making fishing and prawn harvesting possible for local people and growing nuts and fruits in the mangrove trees.

So it is not surprising that mangroves have a hugely important cultural symbolism for local indigenous communities, who often regard the mangroves as sacred places that feature in their legends and stories, carried down through generations. For example, among the Moken people of Southeast Asia mangroves symbolize protection and emphasize the importance of living in harmony with nature.

The Canopy Project and The Future of Mangroves

Mangroves grow along the shores of over 120 countries, from the Sundarbans of South Asia to the Everglades of Florida. Their tangled roots anchor coastlines, filter polluted waters, shelter endangered species, and store carbon up to four times more efficiently than rainforests. They are the unseen defenders against climate change, sea level rise, and biodiversity loss. 

But mangroves are being cleared for coastal development, poisoned by pollution, and drained for short-term gain.  That’s where The Canopy Project comes in and you can help. Through The Canopy Project, EARTHDAY.ORGis planting trees, restoring ecosystems, and supporting local communities in the regions most affected by deforestation, including coastal areas where mangroves can be the first line of defense.

This article is available for republishing on your website, newsletter, magazine, newspaper, or blog. The accompanying imagery is also cleared for use. Please ensure that the author’s name and their affiliation with EARTHDAY.ORG are credited. Kindly inform us if you republish so we can acknowledge, tag, or repost your content. You may notify us via email at davies@earthday.org or fielder@earthday.org. Want more articles? Follow us on substack.

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