Dolphins Are Exhaling Microplastics
New research highlights how extensive plastic pollution is—and how nonhuman species, including dolphins, are exposed......»»
Citizen science study detects vast amount of microplastics in Catalan bathing areas
The presence of microplastics in the oceans is widely documented/reported by oceanographic research, but data on the pollution in the nearshore regions are scarce due to access difficulties faced by scientific boats. Researchers from the Consolidated.....»»
Bolivian river dolphins observed playing with an anaconda
A trio of scientists, one with Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, another from Museo Historia Natural Noel Kempff Mercado and a third independent researcher, report evidence of several Bolivian river dolphins playing with a Beni anaconda in t.....»»
Microplastics are everywhere, but their dangers largely remain a mystery, experts say
They are everywhere: in riverbanks, on glaciers, in deserts, in fish populations, even in the air we breathe. And these are just a few of the places where scientists have found microplastics, plastic debris roughly the size of a sesame seed that move.....»»
Pathogens can hitch a ride on plastic to reach the sea
Microplastics are a pathway for pathogens on land to reach the ocean, with likely consequences for human and wildlife health, according to a study from the University of California, Davis......»»
Researchers use machine learning to speed up counting of microplastics
Microplastics are all around us—in the water we drink, the food we eat and the air we breathe. But before researchers can understand the real impact of these particles on health, they need faster and more effective ways to quantify what is there......»»
Q&A: Researchers develop sponge that can collect oil, phosphates and now microplastics from polluted waters
With a sponge that looks like one you might find in your kitchen, Northwestern University researchers have discovered how to effectively clean up oil, microplastics and phosphate pollution......»»
Dolphins" playful social habits form bonds, but spread virus
Three young male dolphins simultaneously break the water's surface to breathe—first exhaling, then inhaling—before slipping back under the waves of the Chesapeake Bay......»»
Microplastics Found Deep in Lungs of Living People for First Time
Microplastic pollution has been discovered lodged deep in the lungs of living people for the first time. The particles were found in almost all the samples analysed. From a report: The scientists said microplastic pollution was now ubiquitous across.....»»
Here"s how the new global treaty on plastic pollution can help solve this crisis
Plastic pollution is a global problem, contaminating terrestrial, freshwater and marine ecosystems. Microplastics—plastic particles smaller than five millimetres in size—infiltrate and circulate in the global planetary dust cycle, water cycle a.....»»
Chemists cook up way to remove microplastics using okra
Extracts of okra and other slimy plants commonly used in cooking can help remove dangerous microplastics from wastewater, scientists said Tuesday......»»
Scientists find microplastics in blood for first time
Scientists have discovered microplastics in human blood for the first time, warning that the ubiquitous particles could also be making their way into organs......»»
Adding Okra To Drinking Water Removes Microplastics
An anonymous reader quotes a report from New Atlas: If you've ever eaten okra, then you'll know that the stuff can be pretty gooey. According to new research, that quality could allow a compound from the plant to be used in a less toxic method of rem.....»»
Cooking up a way to remove microplastics from wastewater—with okra, aloe
In many cuisines, okra serves as a master thickener of stews and soups. The goo from that fruit and other plants, such as aloe, cactus and psyllium, can also clean water and wastewater of some types of solid pollutants, as well as some that are disso.....»»
New technology enables the detection of microplastics from road wear
A new study shows that a form of optical tweezers can be used to detect small microplastics from tires and road wear, that previously has been too small to detect. The results can be used to develop more sustainable tires that produce less pollution......»»
European floating microplastics may accumulate in Arctic Ocean
Floating microplastics from European rivers may accumulate in parts of the Arctic Ocean, the Nordic Seas and Baffin Bay, a study in Scientific Reports suggests......»»
How small water samples can find really big animals
A team of scientists used an emerging genetic tool that analyzes DNA in water samples to detect whales and dolphins in New York waters......»»
Drones used to identify pregnant dolphins
Researchers have found a way to remotely determine if protected female bottlenose dolphins are expecting a calf using aerial photos taken from drones......»»
Birch trees remove microplastics from the soil
With the help of trees, microplastic-polluted soils could be remediated. For the first time, researchers at the Leibniz Institute of Freshwater Ecology and Inland Fisheries (IGB) have shown that birch trees absorb microplastics through their roots du.....»»
Flippers and flutes: How music helps us talk to dolphins
The universal language of music could serve as a gateway to communicate with dolphins and possibly open doors to learn more about the naturally curious creatures, according to researchers from The Australian National University (ANU)......»»
Scientists uncover "missing" plastics deep in the ocean
About 51 trillion microplastics are floating in the surface waters of oceans around the world. Originating from various types of plastics, these tiny fragments (less than 5 millimeters in length) pollute natural ecosystems. Hundreds of studies have s.....»»