Uma kukhona into ethandwa kakhulu yiwo wonke umthandi wokuqina komzimba, umsubathi kanye nomthandi wangaphandle, yizingubo zokwenziwa. Phela, izinto ezifana ne-polyester, i-nylon, ne-acrylic zinhle kakhulu ekususeni umswakama, zome ngokushesha, futhi zihlala isikhathi eside ngempela.
Kodwa zonke lezi zinto zokwenziwa zenziwe ngepulasitiki. Lapho lezi zindwangu ziphuka noma zigoqeka, zilahlekelwa yizicucu zazo, ezivame ukuphelela enhlabathini nasemithonjeni yethu yamanzi, okubangela izinkinga zempilo nezemvelo. Njengoba uqaphela, imbangela enkulu yazo zonke lezi zinhlayiya ezikhululekile isekhaya lakho: umshini wakho wokuwasha.
Ngenhlanhla, kunezindlela ezimbalwa ezilula zokuvimbela ama-microplastic ukuthi angangcolisi iplanethi ngazo zonke izihlangu.
Njengoba igama lisho, amapulasitiki amancane ayizingcezu ezincane zepulasitiki noma zepulasitiki ezingavamile ukubonakala ngamehlo enyama. Ngakho-ke, ukulwa nokuvimbela ukukhishwa kwawo akukuhle kangako kunezicucu noma izikhwama zepulasitiki eziphikisanayo—umzamo ovame ukuhambisana nezithombe ezibuhlungu zezimfudu zasolwandle eziklinywa yimfucumfucu. Kodwa isazi sezinto eziphilayo zasolwandle u-Alexis Jackson sithi amapulasitiki amancane asalokhu ewusongo olukhulu emvelweni yethu. Uzokwazi: une-Ph.D. Emkhakheni wezinto eziphilayo kanye ne-biology yokuziphendukela kwemvelo, amapulasitiki asezilwandle zethu afundwe kabanzi esikhundleni sakhe njengomqondisi wenqubomgomo yasolwandle yesahluko saseCalifornia se-Nature Conservancy.
Kodwa ngokungafani nokuthenga utshani bensimbi noma ukuqoqa izikhwama ezingasetshenziswa kabusha, ikhambi lale nkinga encane kakhulu alicaci. Okokuqala, amapulasitiki amancane kakhulu kangangokuthi izikhungo zokuhlanza indle ngokuvamile azikwazi ukuwahlunga.
Uma zinyamalala, zitholakala cishe yonke indawo. Zitholakala ngisho nase-Arctic. Akuzona nje kuphela ezingathandeki, kodwa noma yisiphi isilwane esidla lezi zintambo ezincane zepulasitiki singaba nokuvinjelwa kwendlela yokugaya ukudla, amandla anciphile kanye nesifiso sokudla, okuholela ekukhuleni okulinganiselwe kanye nokusebenza okuncishisiwe kokuzala. Ngaphezu kwalokho, amapulasitiki amancane abonakalisiwe ukuthi amunca amakhemikhali ayingozi njengezinsimbi ezisindayo kanye nezibulala-zinambuzane, adlulisela lobu buthi kuma-plankton, izinhlanzi, izinyoni zasolwandle kanye nezinye izilwane zasendle.
Ukusuka lapho, amakhemikhali ayingozi angakhuphula uchungechunge lokudla futhi avele esidlweni sakho sakusihlwa sasolwandle, ingasaphathwa eyokuthi amanzi ompompi.
Ngeshwa, asinayo idatha okwamanje mayelana nomthelela wesikhathi eside we-microplastics empilweni yabantu. Kodwa ngoba siyazi ukuthi zimbi ezilwaneni (futhi i-plastics ayiyona ingxenye enconywayo yokudla okunempilo nokulinganiselayo), uJackson uphawula ukuthi kuphephile ukusho ukuthi akufanele sizifake emizimbeni yethu.
Uma sekuyisikhathi sokugeza ama-leggings akho, amabhulukwe amafushane ebhasikidi, noma i-wicking vest, kunezinyathelo ongazithatha ukuvimbela ama-microplastic ukuthi agcine esendaweni ezungezile.
Qala ngokuhlukanisa izingubo – hhayi ngombala, kodwa ngendwangu. Geza izingubo eziqinile noma eziqinile, njenge-jeans, ngokwehlukana nezingubo ezithambile, njenge-T-shirts ze-polyester nama-sweater e-fleece. Ngale ndlela, uzonciphisa ukungqubuzana okubangelwa umthelela wendwangu eqine kakhulu ezintweni ezincane zingakapheli imizuzu engama-40. Ukungqubuzana okuncane kusho ukuthi izingubo zakho ngeke ziguge ngokushesha futhi imicu cishe ayiqhekeki ngaphambi kwesikhathi.
Bese uqinisekisa ukuthi usebenzisa amanzi abandayo hhayi ashisayo. Ukushisa kuzowenza buthaka imicu futhi kuyenze idabuke kalula, kuyilapho amanzi abandayo ezoyisiza ukuthi ihlale isikhathi eside. Bese usebenzisa imijikelezo emifushane esikhundleni semijikelezo evamile noma emide, lokhu kuzonciphisa amathuba okuphuka kwe-fiber. Uma wenza lokhu, yehlisa ijubane lomjikelezo wokujikeleza uma kungenzeka - lokhu kuzonciphisa kakhulu ukungqubuzana. Ngokubambisana, lezi zindlela zinciphise ukuchitheka kwe-microfiber ngo-30%, ngokusho kocwaningo olulodwa.
Nakuba sixoxa ngezilungiselelo zomshini wokuwasha, gwema imijikelezo ebucayi. Lokhu kungase kuphambene nalokho okucabangayo, kodwa kusebenzisa amanzi amaningi kuneminye imijikelezo yokuwasha ukuvimbela ukukhuhla - isilinganiso esiphezulu samanzi nendwangu empeleni singandisa ukuchitheka kwefayibha.
Ekugcineni, lahla ngokuphelele umshini wokomisa. Asikwazi ukugcizelela lokhu ngokwanele: Ukushisa kunciphisa isikhathi sokuphila kwezinto futhi kwandisa amathuba okuthi zibole ngaphansi komthwalo olandelayo. Ngenhlanhla, izingubo zokwenziwa zoma ngokushesha, ngakho-ke zilengise ngaphandle noma eshaweni—uzogcina imali ngisho nangokusebenzisa umshini wokomisa kaningi.
Ngemva kokuba izingubo zakho sezihlanziwe futhi zomisiwe, ungabuyisi emshinini wokuwasha. Izinto eziningi azidingi ukuhlanzwa ngemva kokusetshenziswa ngakunye, ngakho buyisela lezo zikhindi noma ihembe ekhabetheni ukuze uzigqoke futhi noma kabili uma zinganuki njengenja emanzi ngemva kokusetshenziswa kanye. Uma kukhona indawo eyodwa engcolile, yihlanze ngesandla esikhundleni sokuqala ukupakisha.
Ungasebenzisa futhi imikhiqizo ehlukahlukene ukunciphisa ukuchitheka kwe-microfiber. I-Guppyfriend yenze isikhwama sokuwasha esiklanyelwe ngqo ukuqoqa imicu ephukile kanye nemfucuza ye-microplastic, kanye nokuvimbela ukuphuka kwe-fiber emthonjeni ngokuvikela izingubo. Vele ufake izinto zokwenziwa kuso, uzifake nge-zip, uziphonse emshinini wokuwasha, usikhiphe bese ulahla noma iyiphi i-microplastic lint enamathele emakhoneni esikhwama. Ngisho nezikhwama zokuwasha ezijwayelekile ziyasiza ekunciphiseni ukungqubuzana, ngakho-ke lokhu kuyindlela engcono.
Isihlungi se-lint esihlukile esinamathiselwe epayipini lokukhipha amanzi emshinini wokuwasha singenye indlela ephumelelayo nengasetshenziswa kabusha eye yafakazelwa ukuthi yehlisa ama-microplastics ngamaphesenti angu-80. Kodwa ungathatheki kakhulu ngala mabhola okuwasha, okuthiwa abamba ama-microfiber ekuwasheni: imiphumela emihle mincane kakhulu.
Uma kukhulunywa ngemishini yokuwasha, izinhlobo eziningi ezidumile ziqukethe ipulasitiki, kufaka phakathi ama-capsule alula aqhekeka abe yizinhlayiya ezincane zepulasitiki emshinini wokuwasha. Kodwa kwathatha isikhathi eside ukumba ukuze kutholakale ukuthi yiziphi imishini yokuwasha eziyimbangela. Funda ukuthi ungazi kanjani ukuthi insipho yakho inobungani nemvelo ngempela ngaphambi kokuthi uyibeke kabusha noma ucabangele ukwenza eyakho. Bese unakekela izinto zakho zokwenziwa kusukela ngosuku ozigeza ngalo.
U-Alisha McDarris ungumbhali ofaka isandla kwi-Popular Science. Njengomuntu othanda ukuhamba futhi othanda ukuphuma ngaphandle ngempela, uthanda ukubonisa abangani, umndeni ngisho nabantu angabazi ukuthi bangahlala kanjani bephephile futhi bachithe isikhathi esiningi ngaphandle. Uma engabhali, ungambona ehamba ngesikhwama, ehamba nge-kayak, ekhuphuka amatshe, noma ehamba emgwaqweni.
Isikhathi sokuthunyelwe: Disemba-20-2022