Dolphins Are Exhaling Microplastics
New research highlights how extensive plastic pollution is—and how nonhuman species, including dolphins, are exposed......»»
Study reveals the complexity of microplastic pollution
Microplastics—small plastic pieces less than 5 millimeters in length—are ubiquitous in the environment, and they can have significant effects on wildlife. A new study published in Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry reveals that there are mult.....»»
Exposure to microplastics may alter cellular function
Pollution from miniscule pieces of plastic, or microplastics, have been a growing concern for scientists, public health advocates and environmentalists as these nondegradable items have increasingly made their way into waterways and even the air we b.....»»
Researchers surprised to find microplastics in Florida Keys lagoons
Researchers conducting a planned University of Florida-led study on plankton in two lagoons of the Florida Keys stumbled upon an unexpected presence in the course of their routine sampling: microplastics......»»
Plastic planet: Tracking pervasive microplastics across the globe
Really big systems, like ocean currents and weather, work on really big scales. And so too does your plastic waste, according to new research from Janice Brahney from the Department of Watershed Sciences. The plastic straw you discarded in 1980 hasn'.....»»
Whale and dolphin brains produce lots of heat
We have all heard the mantra that dolphins and whales (cetaceans) are highly intelligent animals. Some claim they're on par with great apes and humans—maybe even smarter. But where does this concept come from?.....»»
Microplastics are affecting melt rates of snow and ice
Microplastics have reached the farthest corners of the Earth, including remote fjords and even the Mariana Trench, one of the deepest parts of the ocean. Recently, yet another distant area of our planet has been found to contain these pollutants: gla.....»»
Whales dive deep for profitable prey
An international research team has investigated why dolphins and whales perform record-breaking dives to several kilometers deep. For the first time they were able to match hunting behavior to the prey present in the hunting zones. The study of resea.....»»
Estimating lifetime microplastic exposure
Every day, people are exposed to microplastics from food, water, beverages and air. But it's unclear just how many of these particles accumulate in the human body, and whether they pose health risks. Now, researchers reporting in ACS' Environmental.....»»
Endangered dolphins are different species, find scientists
After two decades of research, a scientific study, led by the University of St Andrews, has recognized the endangered Indus and Ganges river dolphins as separate species......»»
New study shows microplastics turn into "hubs" for pathogens, antibiotic-resistant bacteria
It's estimated that an average-sized wastewater treatment plant serving roughly 400,000 residents will discharge up to 2,000,000 microplastic particles into the environment each day. Yet, researchers are still learning the environmental and human hea.....»»
Dolphins adapt to survive invasive coastal constructions
Bottlenose dolphins learn to cope with coastal construction activities. That is the conclusion of a study published in Frontiers in Marine Science. The study is the first to provide a longitudinal perspective on the cumulative impacts of coastal cons.....»»
How filter-feeding bivalves could be used to clean up microplastics
On a hot summer day in Connecticut, it's common to go to a beach-side restaurant, eat some fresh oysters and mussels, and enjoy the crashing of the waves against the sand. For a group of University of Connecticut faculty and a Florida Atlantic Univer.....»»
Whale and dolphin brains are special—for heat production, not for intelligence
Scientific evidence shows specialized features in the large brains of whales and dolphins that are adapted for heat production......»»
Microplastics found in 100% of sampled Pennsylvania waterways, study shows
Studies released this week suggest microplastics—tiny polymer fragments—are ubiquitous in local waterways, even finding their way into the guts and digestive tracts of the prized blue crabs that populate the Delaware Bay......»»
Microplastic sizes in Hudson-Raritan Estuary and coastal ocean revealed
Rutgers scientists for the first time have pinpointed the sizes of microplastics from a highly urbanized estuarine and coastal system with numerous sources of fresh water, including the Hudson River and Raritan River......»»
Paper without the microplastics: An economical and ecofriendly coating
Michigan State University's Muhammad Rabnawaz has created a new coating for paper packaging that's both economical and ecofriendly......»»
With a pinch of salt: How reliable are existing studies on microplastics in table salt?
Just as environmentally conscious scientists predicted, our excessive use of plastics is coming back to bite us. Microplastics (MPs), plastic particles smaller than a few millimeters, can now be found everywhere, but more so in seawater. As expected,.....»»
Oil spill has long-term immunological effects in dolphins
A study published in Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry has found long-term impacts of the 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil spill in the northern Gulf of Mexico on bottlenose dolphins' immune function......»»
Method for temporal monitoring of microplastic sedimentation
The effects of microplastics on our health and the environment are being rigorously studied all across the world. Researchers are identifying microplastic sources and their potential routes to the environment by examining rainwater, wastewater, and s.....»»
Environmental scientists cite need for studies looking into impact of microplastics
A pair of environmental scientists are warning that the worldwide population could be facing another health crisis—ailments that impact people due to ingestion of microplastics. In their Perspectives piece published in the journal Science, A. Dick.....»»