‘Plastitar’ Is the Unholy Spawn of Oil Spills and Microplastics
On the beautiful beaches of the Canary Islands, scientists discovered a noxious new pollutant: tar mixed with tiny bits of plastic......»»
Scientists develop automated analysis method for identification and quantification of microplastic particles
How high are concentrations of microplastics in the environment, in our drinking water or in foods? Researchers at the Technical University of Munich (TUM) have developed an automated analysis method for the identification and quantification of parti.....»»
Biosurfactants can offer an environmentally friendly solution for tackling oil spills
Can biosurfactants increase microbiological oil degradation in North Sea seawater? An international research team from the universities of Stuttgart und Tübingen, together with the China West Normal University and the University of Georgia, have bee.....»»
Tourists help scientists reveal microplastic pollution on remote Arctic beaches
Tourists acting as citizen scientists have helped a research team detect microplastics on remote Arctic beaches. The global scale of plastic production means that these tiny fragments of plastic are now ubiquitous, and scientists fear that ocean curr.....»»
Detecting nanoplastics in fractions of a second using modified Raman spectroscopy
Microplastics are tiny, barely visible plastic particles that can harm the environment, for example, if they are eaten by animals. However, it has been difficult to assess the effect of even smaller particles, which can hardly be detected using conve.....»»
Researchers evaluate levels of indoor microplastics in Australia
Griffith University researchers have taken a forensic look at the amount of airborne microplastics in indoor environments in Australia, and the results are confronting......»»
Global study details microplastics contamination in lakes and reservoirs
Around 14 million tons of plastic end up in the ocean every year. But that is not the only water source where plastic represents a significant intrusion......»»
Team finds plastic-associated metalloids in the urban river environments of Mongolia
A team led by researchers from Tokyo Metropolitan University studied how microplastics in the environment accumulate heavy metals. As the microplastics spread, so does their toxic cargo. Focusing on polystyrene foam, the team collected particles alon.....»»
Signs of the human era, from nuclear fallout to microplastics
As scientists make the case that humans have fundamentally transformed the planet enough to warrant our own geological epoch, another question arises: is there anything left untouched by humanity's presence?.....»»
"Time bomb"?: Race to identify health effects of microplastics
Tiny pieces of plastic have been found littered throughout human bodies, trapped in our lungs and laced through our blood, but the long-term health effects of this exposure remain unclear......»»
Researchers identify homogenization of microplastics in rivers of Qilian Mountain
The distribution of microplastics is often closely related to human activities. In addition to densely populated areas, remote areas have become the focus of research in recent years. The intensity of human activities directly affects the abundance o.....»»
Researchers: Hotter sand from microplastics could affect sea turtle development
New research from Florida State University published in Frontiers in Marine Science found that extreme concentrations of microplastics could increase the temperature of beach sand enough to threaten the development of incubating sea turtles......»»
Study shows how microplastics stick around in human airways
Research shows humans might inhale about 16.2 bits of microplastic every hour, which is equivalent to a credit card over an entire week. And these microplastics—tiny debris in the environment generated from the degradation of plastic products—usu.....»»
Quantifying microplastics in Swiss rivers and lakes
Every year, 14,000 tons of plastic end up in Swiss soils and waters, in part in the form of microplastics, which are particles in the micro to millimeter range. Microplastics come from many sources, such as cosmetics or synthetic fiber clothing. The.....»»
What microplastics might be doing to our intestines
Plastics are among the most ubiquitous manmade materials—we wear them, build with them, play with them, ship goods in them, and then we throw them into the waste stream. Ultimately, they can break down into tiny particles that get into our food sup.....»»
How we are contaminating our waters with microplastics and a multitude of chemicals
A plastic sandwich wrapper bobs in the water where the Limmat River flows out of Lake Zurich. The current carries it downstream through Zurich's historic center before eventually depositing it on the bank of Werd island. Exposed to sunlight, it gradu.....»»
River diversions may cause microplastics to remain longer on land and in streams before reaching oceans
Diverting streams and rivers to irrigate crops or provide drinking water may significantly extend the time microplastics spend in river catchments before they flow into our oceans, a new study reveals......»»
Check your tires: You might be adding microplastics to the environment
Cost-saving measures are key in today's economic climate. But they can also have a positive impact on minimizing your environmental footprint. A prime example is maintaining your cars' optimal tire pressure......»»
New model for predicting adsorption of PFAS by microplastics
Rivers, lakes and oceans worldwide are home to trillions of pieces of plastic pollution that are smaller than five millimeters in length, known as microplastics, and their size allows them to easily enter humans and animals. Some can adsorb and trans.....»»
Studying the effects of microplastics on the infectivity of bacteriophages in an aqueous environment
Polymer-based materials are almost everywhere, reaching even the deepest regions of the oceans, and their global production outpaces recycling, leading to the generation of tremendous amounts of water pollution with microplastics. These tiny polymer.....»»
Breakthrough in dynamical localization transitions and Berry curvature-induced transport
The way light moves around inside an optical microcavity provides an exciting opportunity to explore the connection between classical and quantum physics. This field of research is known as quantum chaos, and it has the potential to spawn many new te.....»»