‘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......»»
Bottled water can contain hundreds of thousands of previously uncounted tiny plastic bits, study finds
In recent years, there has been rising concern that tiny particles known as microplastics are showing up basically everywhere on Earth, from polar ice to soil, drinking water and food. Formed when plastics break down into progressively smaller bits,.....»»
AI predicts the influence of microplastics on soil properties
Plastic waste and its buildup in nature has become a major environmental concern in recent times. While plastic pollution in the oceans is undoubtedly a problem, the presence of plastics in soils around the world is also known to cause severe environ.....»»
Microplastic-associated pathogens in aquatic environments: A hidden health risk
Microplastics, which are minute plastic particles under 5mm in size, are becoming ever more ubiquitous in marine and freshwater ecosystems around the globe. These particles, derived from primary and secondary sources, such as industrial raw material.....»»
Toxic chemicals found in oil spills and wildfire smoke detected in killer whales
Toxic chemicals produced from oil emissions and wildfire smoke have been found in muscle and liver samples from Southern Resident killer whales and Bigg's killer whales......»»
Study shows how vertebrates shape the North Sea seafloor
The world's oceans are a vast habitat for countless creatures that settle, spawn, dig or feed on the seafloor. They also influence the shape of the ocean floor. How exactly this takes place has scarcely been investigated......»»
Hurricane Larry dumped 100,000 microplastics per sq. meter on Newfoundland each day
It's another sign of how plasticized our environment has become. Enlarge (credit: J Marshall/NASA/ESA/T. Pesquet/Alamy) As Hurricane Larry curved north in the Atlantic in 2021, sparing the eastern seaboard of the United.....»»
Study shows how hurricane acted as a highway to transport microplastics to remote part of Newfoundland
When a hurricane approaches and crosses land, severe damage can occur—often leaving an obvious trail of physical destruction. What's less obvious to the naked eye is how these storms can carry harmful microplastics across the world......»»
Saturday Citations: Lead, microplastics and coal on our filthy planet—plus, faster-charging lithium-ion batteries
This week, we reported on new developments in lithium-ion batteries, and a real industrial pollution hat trick with stories on coal, lead and microplastics......»»
Researchers describe a more sustainable process to recycle biobased polycarbonates
A month ago, the European Union banned glitter. This action was part of an effort that aims to reduce the presence of microplastics in our environment by 30%. Waste plastics are a serious problem for our ecosystems, and the push for recycling plastic.....»»
A not so silver lining: Microplastics found in clouds could affect the weather
From the depths of the seas to snow on mountains and even the air above cities, microplastics are turning up increasingly often. Now, in Environmental Science & Technology Letters, researchers have analyzed microplastics in clouds above mountains. Th.....»»
Microplastics come from everywhere—yes, that includes sex toys
As more research reveals how many microplastic particles humans are ingesting and absorbing in their bloodstreams, Duke and Appalachian State researchers led by Joana Sipe and Christine Hendren have examined a source for microplastic absorption many.....»»
Scientists test new method for identifying small microplastics
Microplastics, from the beads that were once commonplace in cosmetics to the weathered and broken-down remnants of trash, are now ubiquitous in marine and inland waters around the world. To date, though, scientists have struggled to identify which pl.....»»
Zooplankton in ocean and freshwater are rapidly escalating the global environmental threat of plastics, finds study
A collaborative research team lead by the University of Massachusetts Amherst has recently revealed that rotifers, a kind of microscopic zooplankton common in both fresh and ocean water around the world, are able to chew apart microplastics, breaking.....»»
Once they have laid their eggs, fish become "young" again: Study
The physical relief—in body weight—that temperate fish like cod and Atlantic herring experience after they spawn for the first time allows them to breathe in more oxygen and develop a voracious appetite, all of which leads to a rapid increase in.....»»
Matic is a $1,795 robot vacuum for people concerned about privacy
Relying on local processing, Matic can see your home and suck up liquid spills. Matic should be able to suck up that spill. [credit:.....»»
Scientists create artificial protein capable of degrading microplastics in bottles
Every year, around 400 million tons of plastics are produced worldwide, a number that increases by around 4% annually. The emissions resulting from their manufacture are one of the elements contributing to climate change, and their ubiquitous presenc.....»»
Ocean circulation, ice melt and increasing tourism could all be contributing to Arctic microplastics
Scientists measured microplastic concentrations in the highly productive Barents Sea and suggest that ocean circulation, ice melt, tourism, inadequate waste management, shipping and fishing are all likely contributors......»»
Examining the function of salmon cooling stations
You've heard of the salmon run: upon reaching sexual maturity, wild Atlantic salmon, which are born in freshwater rivers but spend most of their adult life in the ocean, swim upstream all the way back to their birthplace to spawn. This remarkable mig.....»»
Coral researchers see "mass mortality" amid Florida Reef bleaching crisis
Battered by heat, washed out to a bleached, white hue and ravaged by disease, corals offshore of Key Largo, Florida, used what little energy they had left to spawn the next generation that could save their populations......»»
Scientists develop microplastics detection kit with AI technology
A research team led by Dr. Ho Sang Jung of the Department of Nano-Bio Convergence at the Korea Institute of Materials Science (KIMS), a research institute under the Ministry of Science and ICT, in collaboration with the KOTITI Testing & Research Inst.....»»