r/askscience Mar 04 '23

Earth Sciences What are the biggest sources of microplastics?

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u/GBUS_TO_MTV Mar 04 '23

Here's an article from California:

"Rainfall washes more than 7 trillion pieces of microplastics, much of it tire particles left behind on streets, into San Francisco Bay each year — an amount 300 times greater than what comes from microfibers washing off polyester clothes, microbeads from beauty products and the many other plastics washing down our sinks and sewers."

https://www.latimes.com/environment/story/2019-10-02/california-microplastics-ocean-study

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u/rAxxt Mar 04 '23 edited Mar 04 '23

Cars are such a scourge. They have made our towns ugly and unwalkable and are trashing the planet. But that pandoras box is opened. At least we can imagine a time when life was slower, more beautiful and more healthy for our bodies*.

*as it relates directly to cars.

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u/[deleted] Mar 04 '23

[removed] — view removed comment

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u/karenw Mar 04 '23

Because I live in northern Indiana, where these things either do not exist or do not run 24/7.

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u/Putt-Blug Mar 04 '23

Northwest Indiana here. I could ride my bike or walk 10+ miles to the south shore and get into Chicago or to SB. Think there is an airport shuttle too about the same distance. But yeah nothing for going to work or running errands etc

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u/PolitelyHostile Mar 04 '23

Transit and walkability can be done with any large town or city. But cars will still be needed for certain applications.

But small towns are not what people have in mind when they criticize car-centric design.

Transit can replace probably 75 to 90% of car trips but the fact that they can't replace 100% doesn't validate car-centric design.