Microplastics – News and Features

Tiny pieces of plastic break down further during the water treatment processes, reducing the performance of treatment plants and impacting water quality.

Over the past several years, microplastic particles have repeatedly been detected in seawater, drinking water, and even in animals. But these minute particles are also transported by the atmosphere and subsequently washed out of the air, especially by snow – and even in such remote regions as the Arctic and the Alps.

In the western world, when we turn on our taps, we take it for granted that the drinking water that comes out is safe. But a lot of work goes on behind the scenes to ensure this is the case. We spoke to Fiona Regan, Professor of Chemistry at Dublin City University and Director of the DCU Water Institute, about the challenges facing our water resources.

Microplastic are common from the surface to the seafloor and may be entering marine food webs, both at the surface and in the deep. Research suggests that most of this microplastic is coming from consumer products.

Researchers estimate that the average American consumes more than 70,000 particles of microplastics per year, though the health effects of that consumption are unclear.

Researchers are studying the effects of environmental toxins and elevated water temperatures on fish fertilization, as well as the role of microplastics in the food chain of fish.

For the first time, researchers at King’s, in collaboration with the University of Suffolk, have found a diverse array of chemicals, including illicit drugs and pesticides in UK river wildlife.

Biodegradable and compostable plastic bags are still capable of carrying full loads of shopping after being exposed in the natural environment for three years, a new study shows.

Samples collected over a five-month period from a secluded area of the Pyrenees mountains identified average daily counts of 365 deposits of microplastics per square meter in this remote region.

Plastic pollution in the world’s oceans is now widely recognized as a major global challenge – but we still know very little about how these plastics are actually reaching the sea.