Microplastics ingestion under the microscope in invertebrates
A study led by Griffith University researchers has exposed two generations of a sediment-dwelling invertebrate to microplastic and found that while the 'parent' generation experienced negative impacts, the 'child' generation did not, possibly suggest.....»»
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......»»
Waters along Bar Harbor, Acadia, home to billions of microplastics
Along the shores of Acadia National Park, Bar Harbor and the Schoodic Peninsula are the vast, briny waters of Frenchman Bay. With 98 square miles of water and 39 islands, the bay is vital to shorebirds, fish, lobstermen and outdoor recreationists. Un.....»»
Elevated levels of antibiotic resistance genes should be considered a new factor of global change, researchers say
Human-caused global change is a complex phenomenon comprising many factors such as climate change, environmental contamination with chemicals, microplastics, light pollution, and invasive plants. One of the main tasks of global change biology is to i.....»»
Researchers track individual neurons as they respond to words
When processing language, individual neurons respond to words with similar meanings. Enlarge / Human Neuron, Digital Light Microscope. (Photo By BSIP/Universal Images Group via Getty Images) (credit: BSIP/Universal Images Group v.....»»
Small steps for electrons—big steps for the future? Ultrafast microscope reveals electron pathways in solar cells
In the search for more efficient and sustainable energy generation methods, a class of materials called metal halide perovskites have shown great promise. In the few years since their discovery, novel solar cells based on these materials have already.....»»
Using a refrigerated microscope and antifreeze to directly observe the ice-liquid interface
Ice in nature is surrounded by liquid most of the time, and therefore it is key to understand how ice and liquid interact. A Kobe University and Institute for Molecular Science study has now for the first time directly observed the precise shape of i.....»»
Scientists visualize magnetic fields at atomic scale with holography electron microscope
A research team from Japan, including scientists from Hitachi, Ltd. (TSE 6501, Hitachi), Kyushu University, RIKEN, and HREM Research Inc. (HREM), has achieved a major breakthrough in the observation of magnetic fields at unimaginably small scales......»»
Our clothes generate microplastics that pollute the St. Lawrence River and other bodies of water, say researchers
Our clothes are made mainly of plastic......»»
A closer look at cell toxins: Researchers examine how radionuclides interact with kidney cells
When radionuclides enter our organism, whether by inhalation, ingestion, or through wounds, they pose a potential health risk. Many previous studies on radionuclide exposure have focused mainly on animal experiments. However, we have little data on t.....»»
AIM algorithm enhances super-resolution microscope images in real time
When trying to measure molecular structures with nanometer precision, every bit of noise shows up in the data: someone walking past the microscope, tiny vibrations in the building and even the traffic outside. A new processing technique removes noise.....»»
New research approach: Exploring the mouthfeel of food with a microscope
A team led by Melanie Köhler and Veronika Somoza from the Leibniz-Institute for Food Systems Biology has presented a new research approach in the journal Nature Food. The perspectives article focuses on different ways to study the mouthfeel of food.....»»
Porous materials and machine learning provide inexpensive microplastic monitoring method
Optical analysis and machine learning techniques can now readily detect microplastics in marine and freshwater environments using inexpensive porous metal substrates. Details of the method, developed by researchers at Nagoya University with collabora.....»»
Are the Microplastics Found in Testicles a Health Danger?
Evidence shows microplastics can end up in many different organs and may harm reproductive health.....»»
Ambitious targets are needed to end ocean plastic pollution by 2100, analysis finds
A collaboration between researchers at Imperial College London and GNS Science, suggests that reducing plastic pollution by 5% per year would stabilize the level of microplastics—plastics less than 5 mm in length—in the surface oceans......»»
Many microplastics in the world"s oceans have likely escaped detection, researchers say
Chemicals within microplastics that are found in our world's oceans and waterways, and in drinking water sources, remain of concern to scientists and public health officials. A new study that investigated the presence of the smallest particles of mic.....»»
First observation of a focused plasma wave on the sun
For the first time, scientists have observed plasma waves from a solar flare focused by a coronal hole, akin to the focusing of sound waves responsible for the Rotunda effect in architecture or the focusing of light by a telescope or microscope......»»
Woodlice hold the new record for smallest dispersers of ingested seeds
Even bugs as small as woodlice can disperse seeds they eat, setting a new record for smallest animal recorded to do so. The Kobe University discovery underscores the crucial yet often overlooked role that small invertebrates play in ecosystems......»»
What are nanoplastics? An engineer explains concerns about particles too small to see
It's become common to read that microplastics—little bits of plastic, smaller than a pencil eraser—are turning up everywhere and in everything, including the ocean, farmland, food and human bodies. Now a new term is gaining attention: nanoplastic.....»»
"Everywhere we looked, we found evidence": Microplastics expert on 20 years of pollution research
Thirty years ago, while counting barnacles, limpets and seaweeds along rocky shores, I started noticing a daily tide of litter, mostly plastic. As a marine biology Ph.D. student at Liverpool University, I kept removing it, but the next day, there'd b.....»»
Hadeda ibises" "sixth sense" works best in wet soil: New research is a wake-up call for survival of wading birds
Hadeda ibises (Bostrychia hagedash) are one of the most familiar species of birds across sub-Saharan Africa. They are large, long-legged birds with long, thin beaks for probing invertebrates out of soil, and though they appear dull brown at a glance,.....»»