Microplastics – News and Features

Researchers reviewed recent scientific literature about the effects of particle contaminants on the mucosal system, an internal membrane that serves as the body’s lubricant and the first line of defense from infections and toxins. These data establish a clear link between exposure to airborne or waterborne particulate matter and several health conditions.

The fact that microplastics can accumulate organic pollutants from the environment and transport them has been known for some time. What is new, however, is that metals can also be transported in this manner. In addition, the smaller the particles, the greater the metal accumulation on the plastic.

Food companies, regulators, marketers, journalists and others should use the terms “cell-based” or “cell-cultured” when labeling and talking about seafood products made from the cells of fish or shellfish, according to a new Rutgers study.

Research demonstrates the mechanism by which microplastics, when in contact with cell membranes, stretch and greatly reduce their mechanical stability.

Small juvenile sea turtles from the Pacific and Indian Oceans have a very high occurrence of ingested plastic, a new study shows. The life cycle of marine turtles might "trap" juvenile turtles in habitats with high amounts of plastic debris.

Researchers from the University of Portsmouth tested a theory that microplastics covered in a layer of microbes, were more likely to be ingested by oysters than microplastics that were clean.

An adhesive tape patented by scientists from Staffordshire University originally designed to recover trace evidence from crime scenes is now being repurposed to analyze microplastics.

A new model tracking the vertical movement of algae-covered microplastic particles offers hope in the fight against plastic waste in our oceans.

Food contamination is not a new issue; this is why food producers take care to perform risk assessments and to keep their operations as hygienic as possible. But in recent years, the rise of a new class of contaminants has become a major concern.

Scientists have developed an innovative way to use NASA satellite data to track the movement of tiny pieces of plastic in the ocean.