Ukuba kukho into ethandwa kakhulu ngabo bonke abathanda ukomelela komzimba, abadlali kunye nabantu abathanda ngaphandle, yimpahla eyenziwe ngokwenziwa. Kaloku, izinto ezifana ne-polyester, i-nylon, kunye ne-acrylic zilungile ekususeni umswakama, zome ngokukhawuleza, kwaye zihlala ixesha elide.
Kodwa zonke ezi zinto zenziwe ngeplastiki. Xa ezi fayibha ziqhekeka okanye ziqengqeleka, zilahlekelwa yimicu yazo, edla ngokuphelela kwimithombo yethu yomhlaba namanzi, nto leyo ebangela iingxaki zempilo nokusingqongileyo. Nangona ulumkile, eyona nto ibangela la masuntswana akhululekileyo ikwikhaya lakho: umatshini wakho wokuhlamba impahla.
Ngethamsanqa, kukho iindlela ezimbalwa ezilula zokuthintela ii-microplastics ukuba zingangcolisi iplanethi ngebhuthi nganye.
Njengoko igama lisitsho, ii-microplastics ziziqwenga ezincinci zeplastiki okanye iifayibha zeplastiki ezingabonakaliyo emehlweni. Ngoko ke, ukulwa nokuthintela ukukhululwa kwazo akumnandi kangako kuneengca okanye iingxowa zeplastiki ezichaseneyo—umzamo odla ngokuhamba nemifanekiso ebuhlungu yeemfumba zaselwandle ezikrwitshwa zizinto ezimdaka. Kodwa isazi ngebhayoloji yaselwandle uAlexis Jackson uthi ii-microplastics zihlala ziyingozi enkulu kwindalo esingqongileyo. Uza kwazi: unePh.D. Kwicandelo le-ecology kunye ne-evolutionary biology, iiplastiki ezikwiilwandle zethu ziye zafundwa kakhulu kwisikhundla sakhe njengomlawuli wemigaqo-nkqubo yaselwandle kwicandelo laseCalifornia le-Nature Conservancy.
Kodwa ngokungafaniyo nokuthenga iingca zesinyithi okanye ukuqokelela iingxowa ezinokuphinda zisetyenziswe, isisombululo sale ngxaki yamasuntswana asicaci. Okokuqala, iiplastiki ezincinci zincinci kangangokuba amaziko okunyanga amanzi amdaka adla ngokungakwazi ukuzihluza.
Xa zithe shwaka, zifumaneka phantse kuyo yonke indawo. Zifumaneka nakwiArctic. Azingonwabisi nje kuphela, kodwa nasiphi na isilwanyana esitya ezi ntambo zincinci zeplastiki sinokufumana ukuvaleka kwendlela yokugaya ukutya, amandla anciphileyo kunye nomdla wokutya, okubangela ukukhula okungalindelekanga kunye nokusebenza okunciphileyo kokuzala. Ukongeza, ii-microplastics zibonakalisiwe ukuba zifunxa iikhemikhali ezinobungozi ezifana neentsimbi ezinzima kunye nezibulala-zinambuzane, zidlulisela ezi tyhefu kwi-plankton, iintlanzi, iintaka zaselwandle kunye nezinye izilwanyana zasendle.
Ukusuka apho, iikhemikhali eziyingozi zinokunyusa uthotho lokutya zize zibonakale kwisidlo sakho saselwandle, ingasathethwa ke ngamanzi epompo.
Ngelishwa, asinalo ulwazi okwangoku malunga nempembelelo yexesha elide ye-microplastics kwimpilo yabantu. Kodwa kuba siyazi ukuba zimbi kwizilwanyana (kwaye iiplastiki azikho nxalenye icetyiswayo yokutya okunempilo nokulinganiselayo), uJackson uthi kukhuselekile ukuthi akufanele sizifake emizimbeni yethu.
Xa kufika ixesha lokuhlamba iileggings zakho, iishorts zebasketball, okanye i-wicking vest, kukho amanyathelo onokuwathatha ukuthintela ii-microplastics ukuba zingabi kwindawo ezikuyo.
Qala ngokwahlula impahla – kungekhona ngombala, kodwa ngezinto ezenziwe ngazo. Hlamba impahla erhabaxa okanye erhabaxa, njengeebhulukhwe, ngokwahlukileyo kwiimpahla ezithambileyo, njengeeT-shirts zepolyester kunye neesweatshi zefleece. Ngale ndlela, uya kunciphisa ukurhabaxa okubangelwa yimpembelelo yezinto ezirhabaxa kwizinto ezibhityileyo kwimizuzu engama-40. Ukurhabaxa okuncinci kuthetha ukuba impahla yakho ayizukuguga ngokukhawuleza kwaye iifayibha azinakuqhekeka ngaphambi kwexesha.
Emva koko qiniseka ukuba usebenzisa amanzi abandayo kwaye ungashushu. Ubushushu buya kuyenza buthathaka imicu kwaye buze buyenze ikrazuke lula, ngelixa amanzi abandayo eza kuyinceda ihlale ixesha elide. Emva koko sebenzisa imijikelo emifutshane endaweni yemijikelo eqhelekileyo okanye emide, oku kuya kunciphisa amathuba okuqhekeka kwefayibha. Xa usenza oku, yehlisa isantya somjikelo wokujikeleza ukuba kunokwenzeka - oku kuya kunciphisa ngakumbi ukungqubana. Xa zizonke, ezi ndlela zinciphise ukuchitheka kwe-microfiber ngama-30%, ngokutsho kolunye uphando.
Nangona sixoxa ngokuseta umatshini wokuhlamba impahla, kuphephe imijikelo ebuthathaka. Oku kusenokuphikisana noko ucinga ngako, kodwa kusebenzisa amanzi amaninzi kuneminye imijikelo yokuhlamba impahla ukuthintela ukurhawuzelelwa – umlinganiselo ophezulu wamanzi kwilaphu unokunyusa ukuchitheka kwefayibha.
Okokugqibela, yilahle ngokupheleleyo i-dryer. Asinakugxininisa ngokwaneleyo oku: Ubushushu bunciphisa ubomi bezinto kwaye kwandisa amathuba okuba zonakale phantsi komthwalo olandelayo. Ngethamsanqa, iimpahla ezenziwe ngokwenziwa zoma ngokukhawuleza, ngoko ke zixhonywe ngaphandle okanye kwi-shower rail—uya konga imali nangokusebenzisa i-dryer rhoqo.
Emva kokuba impahla yakho ihlanjiwe kwaye yomisiwe, musa ukuyibuyisela kumatshini wokuhlamba. Izinto ezininzi akufuneki zihlanjwe emva kokusetyenziswa ngakunye, ngoko ke buyisela ezo bhulukhwe zimfutshane okanye ihempe kwidrowa ukuze uzinxibe kwakhona okanye kabini ukuba azinuki njengenja emanzi emva kokusetyenziswa kanye. Ukuba kukho indawo enye engcolileyo, yihlambe ngesandla endaweni yokuqala ukupakisha.
Ungasebenzisa neemveliso ezahlukeneyo ukunciphisa ukuchitheka kwe-microfiber. I-Guppyfriend yenze ibhegi yokuhlamba impahla eyenzelwe ngokukodwa ukuqokelela imicu ephukileyo kunye nenkunkuma ye-microplastic, kunye nokuthintela ukwaphuka kwefayibha emthonjeni ngokukhusela impahla. Faka nje i-synthetic kuyo, uyivale nge-zip, uyiphose kumatshini wokuhlamba, uyitsale uze ulahle nayiphi na i-microplastic lint enamathele kwiikona zebhegi. Kwaneebhegi zokuhlamba iimpahla eziqhelekileyo zinceda ekunciphiseni ukungqubana, ngoko ke olu lukhetho.
Isihluzo se-lint esahlukileyo esiqhotyoshelwe kwipayipi yokukhupha amanzi kumatshini wokuhlamba sesinye inketho esebenzayo nesetyenziswa kwakhona eye yangqinwa ukuba inciphisa ii-microplastics ukuya kuthi ga kwi-80%. Kodwa musa ukutsaleleka kakhulu kwezi bhola zokuhlamba iimpahla, ekuthiwa zibamba ii-microfibers ekuhlanjweni: iziphumo ezilungileyo zincinci kakhulu.
Xa kufikwa kwiisepha, iintlobo ezininzi ezidumileyo ziqulathe iplastiki, kuquka neekhaphu ezilula eziqhekeka zibe ziinxalenye zeplastiki ezincinci kumatshini wokuhlamba. Kodwa kuthathe ixesha elide ukumba ukuze kufunyaniswe ukuba zeziphi isepha ezibangela loo nto. Funda indlela yokwazi ukuba isepha yakho inobuhlobo nendalo na ngaphambi kokuba uyibeke kwakhona okanye ucinge ngokwenza eyakho. Emva koko nyamekela izinto zakho ezenziweyo ukususela ngomhla ozihlamba ngawo.
U-Alisha McDarris ngumbhali onegalelo kwiPopular Science. Njengomntu othanda ukuhambahambayo kwaye ethanda kakhulu ukuphuma ngaphandle, uyakuthanda ukubonisa abahlobo, usapho kwanabantu angabaziyo indlela yokuhlala bekhuselekile kwaye bachithe ixesha elingakumbi ngaphandle. Xa engabhali, ungambona ehamba ngebhegi yakhe, ehamba ngekayak, enyuka amatye, okanye ehamba ngeenyawo.
Ixesha lokuthumela: Disemba-20-2022