(CNN – 1/8/2024) In a trailblazing new study, researchers have discovered bottled water sold in stores can contain 10 to 100 times more bits of plastic than previously estimated — nanoparticles so infinitesimally tiny they cannot be seen under a microscope. One liter of water — the equivalent of two standard-size bottled waters — contained […]
Bottled water contains thousands of nanoplastics Read More »
(LA Times July 14, 2023) Sparkling Lake Tahoe may appear pristine, but its blue surface waters contain microplastic concentrations higher than those observed in ocean gyres — systems of ocean currents notorious for accumulating plastic waste — according to new research. The study, published Wednesday in the scientific journal Nature, revealed that of the 38
Lake Tahoe has higher concentration of microplastics than ocean trash heap Read More »
(PNAS July 26, 2023) In 2010, a team of marine scientists based in Woods Hole, Massachusetts, began dipping fine mesh nets into the sea in the middle of the North Atlantic. As each net skimmed the ocean surface, it amassed tiny plastic remains from far-off shores. When the researchers viewed their catch under a scanning
Is the “plastisphere” spreading infectious disease? Read More »
(Al Jazeera 6/19/2023) Every year, about 400 million tonnes of plastic products are produced around the world. About half are used to make single-use items such as shopping bags, cups and packaging material. Of these plastics, an estimated 8 million to 10 million tonnes end up in the ocean each year. If flattened to the
How much plastic is in our oceans? Read More »
(BBC.com 1/3/2023) Plastic pollution is one of the defining legacies of our modern way of life, but it is now so widespread it is even finding its way into fruit and vegetables as they grow. In 2022, analysis by the Environmental Working Group, an environmental non-profit, found that sewage sludge has contaminated almost 20 million
Microplastics are infiltrating food Read More »
This fantastic database is a repository for microplastics toxicity data for the California Microplastics Health Effects Workshop. The web application allows users to explore toxicity data using an intuitive interface while retaining the diversity and complexity inherent to microplastics. Data is extracted from existing, peer-reviewed manuscripts containing toxicity data pertaining to microplastics. A full length
Toxicity of Microplastics Explorer, Aquatic Organisms Database Read More »
How Microplastics Corrupted Our Planet and Our Bodies Review from 5Gyres 11/18/2022 In A Poison Like No Other: How Microplastics Corrupted Our Planet and Our Bodies, science journalist Matt Simon reveals the shocking extent of microplastic pollution and its far-reaching consequences for human and animal health. Speaking with scientists on the frontlines of the microplastic
A Poison Like No Other Read More »
The Conversation 4/13/2023 At a first glance the COVID-19 pandemic seemed to have a positive impact on the environment, with significant decreases in greenhouse gas emissions, and transport-related noise, air and light pollution. However, our research found discarded face coverings and other personal protective equipment (PPE) are likely to be the cause of a rise
Focus Taiwain 4/13/2023 A local research team has discovered that microplastics pollution in urban rivers in Taiwan is highly related to population density, urbanization and land use. Microplastics, the plastic fragments or manmade fibers with particle size smaller than 5 millimeters, mostly come from daily life, roads, the manufacturing industry and natural fragmentation, explained Alexander
Researchers find microplastics pollution linked to population density Read More »
(CNBC 3/10/2023) More than 170 trillion plastic particles weighing roughly 2 million metric tons are afloat in the world’s oceans, according to new research, and that number could nearly triple by 2040 if no action is taken. The authors of the peer-reviewed research paper, published Wednesday in the PLOS ONE journal, warn that “cleanup is futile,” if
Growing plastic smog in the world’s oceans Read More »
