Plastic Portrait 2/2 – Edition of 50 Photograph

Virtually every piece of plastic you’ve ever thrown away still exists in some shape or form. Microplastics are generated as a byproduct of the plastics we use; from the abundance of packaging being shredded apart in our seas and eaten by fish, to man-made microfibres shed from clothing, we’re continuously exposed to the unknown effects of microplastics within our bodies. Some smaller than the width of a human hair, these nano-fibres can work their way into our bloodstream and through our lymphatic system. Already studies show that microplastics have been found in 114 aquatic species, and more than half of those end up on our dinner plates. It is thought that it will take another five to 10 years before we will understand the real damage microplastics may be causing to our bodies – by then at least another 25 million tons of plastic will have flowed into our seas.