Analysis of "Percentage of Microplastics in the Water" Pie Chart

This page presents an analysis of a pie chart titled "Percentage of microplastics in the water", published by the IUCN in 2017. The chart illustrates the various sources of microplastics in water, divided into seven color-coded categories.

Highlight: The pie chart reveals that synthetic textiles, closely associated with fast fashion, are the largest contributor to microplastic pollution in water at 35%.

The chart breaks down the sources as follows:

• Synthetic textiles: 35.0% (orange)
• Car tires: 28.0% (dark gray)
• City dust: 24.0% (darker gray)
• Road markings: 7.0% (gray)
• Marine coatings: 3.7% (light gray)
• Personal care products: 2.0% (lighter gray)
• Plastic pellets: 0.3% (very light gray)

Example: The chart visually emphasizes the impact of synthetic textiles by using a distinct orange color and slightly separating this segment from the rest of the pie.

The analysis points out that the dominance of synthetic textiles in microplastic pollution is unexpected, as most people would assume sources like car tires or plastic pellets to be more significant contributors. This revelation underscores the environmental impact of fast fashion and its role in water pollution.

Vocabulary: Microplastics - tiny plastic particles less than 5mm in size that pollute the environment, particularly water bodies.

The author notes that the chart lacks specific context, such as which ocean the data pertains to, limiting the depth of interpretation possible without additional background information.