Microplastics are everywhere, but are they harming us?
Microplastics have been found in the ocean and the air, in our food and water. They have been found in a wide range of body tissues, including the heart, liver, kidneys and even testicles......»»
Researchers use satellites to track ocean microplastics from space
Environmentalists have been raising awareness about microplastics in the oceans. Now, researchers are using a NASA satellite to track the problem......»»
Scientists use NASA satellite data to track ocean microplastics from space
Scientists from the University of Michigan have developed an innovative way to use NASA satellite data to track the movement of tiny pieces of plastic in the ocean......»»
Urbanization drives antibiotic resistance on microplastics in Chinese river
Microplastic pollution of waterways has become a huge concern, with the tiny pieces of plastic entering food webs and potentially having harmful effects on animals and people. In addition, microplastics can act as breeding grounds for antibiotic-resi.....»»
Ocean microplastics: First global view shows seasonal changes and sources
An estimated 8 million tons of plastic trash enters the ocean each year, and most of it is battered by sun and waves into microplastics—tiny flecks that can ride currents hundreds or thousands of miles from their point of entry......»»
Salt marshes trap microplastics in their sediments, creating record of human plastic use
Plastics are everywhere. From cell phones to pens and cars to medical devices, the modern world is full of plastic— and plastic waste. New research from scientists at the Marine Biological Laboratory (MBL) Ecosystems Center found that some of that.....»»
Mangroves and seagrasses absorb microplastics
Mangroves and seagrasses grow in many places along the coasts of the world, and these 'blue forests' constitute an important environment for a large number of animals. Here, juvenile fish can hide until they are big enough to take care of themselves;.....»»
Fish have been swallowing microplastics since the 1950s
Forget diamonds—plastic is forever. It takes decades, or even centuries, for plastic to break down, and nearly every piece of plastic ever made still exists in some form today. We've known for a while that big pieces of plastic can harm wildlife—.....»»
What spurs people to save the planet? Stories or facts?
With climate change looming, what must people hear to convince them to change their ways to stop harming the environment? A new Johns Hopkins University study finds stories to be significantly more motivating than scientific facts—at least for some.....»»
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'.....»»
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.....»»
Study: US pesticide use falls but harms pollinators more
American farmers are using smaller amounts of better targeted pesticides, but these are harming pollinators, aquatic insects and some plants far more than decades ago, a new study finds......»»
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.....»»
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.....»»
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.....»»
Climate change damaging North America"s largest temperate rainforest, harming salmon
New research released in Bioscience found that a remote region of North America's largest temperate rainforest is experiencing changes to its ecosystem due to climate change. Brian Buma, a researcher and professor of integrated biology at University.....»»
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......»»
Insecticide known for killing pollinators found in deer across Minnesota
Powerful insecticides are turning up in deer in nearly every corner of Minnesota, raising concerns that the ubiquitous chemicals may be keeping fawns from surviving to maturity or harming deer reproduction......»»