What microplastics might be doing to our intestines
Plastics are among the most ubiquitous manmade materials—we wear them, build with them, play with them, ship goods in them, and then we throw them into the waste stream. Ultimately, they can break down into tiny particles that get into our food sup.....»»
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—.....»»
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......»»
Similar phage communities in human and primate intestines
We live in a world dominated by microorganisms. They existed on earth long before the first multicellular organisms came into being. As part of a metaorganism, i.e. the community of a complex living being with colonizing microorganisms, they remain a.....»»
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.....»»
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.....»»
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,.....»»
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.....»»
How microplastics in the soil contribute to environmental pollution
Plastic, with its unabated global production, is a major and persistent contributor to environmental pollution. In fact, the accumulation of plastic debris in our environment is only expected to increase in the future. "Microplastics" (MP)—plastic.....»»
It’s the wombat’s strange intestines, not its anus, that produces cubed poo
"Our research finally proves that you really can fit a square peg through a round hole." Enlarge / Look at this lovely cube-shaped piece of poo, courtesy of the Australian bare-nosed wombat. (credit: Patricia J. Yang et al., 2021) Scientists h.....»»
Dramatic increase in microplastics in seagrass soil since the 1970s
Large-scale production of vegetables and fruit in Spain with intensive plastic consumption in its greenhouse industry is believed to have leaked microplastic contaminants since the 1970s into the surrounding Mediterranean seagrass beds. This is shown.....»»
Combined river flows could send up to 3 billion microplastics a day into the Bay of Bengal
The Ganges River—with the combined flows of the Brahmaputra and Meghna rivers—could be responsible for up to 3 billion microplastic particles entering the Bay of Bengal every day, according to new research......»»