Microplastics – News and Features

A pilot study identified microplastics in human stools for the first time – in all of eight international participants.

Plastic has found a previously unknown pathway to pollute the environment and enter the food chain by getting inside flying insects that lay their eggs in water.

Scientists report that throwing contact lenses down the drain at the end of their use could be contributing to microplastic pollution in waterways.

Several greenhouse gases are emitted as common plastics degrade in the environment, according to new research.

We spoke to Andrew Howley from Adventure Scientists,a pioneering not-for-profit organization that seeks to unite skilled adventurers with scientists keen to receive valuable data from remote areas, to learn more about the initiative and the impact their projects are having in the scientific community and beyond.

Researchs observed how nanoplastics, despite existing in low concentrations, caused damage to the DNA, cell membranes and produce oxidative stress in the most common Mediterranean mussel consumed by humans.

Scientists find that plastic nanoparticles are easily ingested by marine organisms, accumulate in the organisms over time, and risk being transferred up the food chain, threatening food safety and posing health risks.

BC’s premier shellfish farming region is heavily contaminated with microplastics, according to a new study. The findings show action is required to reduce the environmental impact and entry to the food chain.

A new study shows that increasing microplastic accumulation along the Gulf of Mexico’s beaches could alter the composition of shoreline sand and jeopardize the loggerhead sea turtles’ sensitive incubation environments.

Experts have recently found higher amounts of microplastic in arctic sea ice than ever before, the majority of which were microscopically small. However, the different types of plastic showed a unique footprint in the ice allowing the researchers to trace them back to possible sources.