MENUSay no to plastic parks
Microplastic Pollution
Plastic does not decompose. It breaks down into smaller pieces of plastic. As plastic continues to break down into smaller and smaller pieces it is called "microplastic." Researchers are finding microplastic everywhere they look, especially in the SF Bay and in our bodies. Covering 17 acres of Crocker Amazon Park in plastic grass will add 374,000 pounds of plastic into our neighborhood.
Forbes | March 13, 2025
The Invisible Threat: How Microplastics Are Poisoning Our Health And What We Can Do About It
These tiny particles have become impossible to avoid. They are in our air, our water, our food, and, increasingly, inside our bodies.
The fight against microplastics is not just an environmental issue—it is a public health emergency. If we fail to act, we are not just polluting our planet; we are poisoning our bodies, our children, and our future. This is not a theoretical concern. Researchers have now linked microplastics to inflammation, oxidative stress, immune dysfunction, metabolic disorders, and even cognitive decline. All of these hurt us and our children.
The New York Times | April 8, 2025
What Are Microplastics Doing to Our Bodies? This Lab Is Racing to Find Out.
Inside a New Mexico lab, researchers estimate there is five bottle caps worth of plastic in human brains. Now they are trying to find out its effects.
"'This stuff is increasing in our world exponentially,' Dr. Campen said. As it piles up in the environment, it is piling up in us, too."
San Francisco Estuary Institute | October 29, 2021
A Synthesis of Microplastic Sources and Pathways to Urban Runoff
Playing sports on artificial turf is a source of microplastic in urban stormwater runoff.
San Francisco Estuary Institute | 2017 - 2021
San Francisco Bay Microplastics Project
Microplastics are a pervasive and preventable threat to aquatic ecosystems. The San Francisco Estuary Institute and 5 Gyres conducted a first-of-its-kind, comprehensive regional study of microplastic pollution of a major urban estuary and adjacent ocean environment.
Microparticle and microplastic concentrations in Bay sediment were higher than those reported in the majority of other regions around the globe.
Washington Post | April 27, 2025
Microplastics may confuse bees and other insects, hurting pollination
Recent studies have shown that tiny pieces of plastics can make bees more susceptible to bacteria and viruses.
"One thing is clear, though, Wanger-Guerrero said: 'The urgency to mitigate exposure of nature to plastic.'"
Tell the SF Rec & Park Commission and your Supervisor about the kind of park you want.
