Microplastics – News and Features

Tiny fragments of plastic waste have been detected in human penile tissue for the first time, raising new questions about how environmental pollutants may affect sexual and reproductive health.

A biofriendly new material made from barley starch blended with fibre from sugarbeet waste sees the light of day at the University of Copenhagen – a strong material that turns into compost should it end up in nature.

Researchers have developed a novel yet simple method to measure N/MP concentration in different soil types using spectroscopy at two wavelengths.

Soil could be our planet's unsung hero, quietly working behind the scenes to keep everything in balance. This article will discuss some of the worrying emerging contaminants detected in soil and how scientists are rising to the analytical challenge.

Mussels downstream of a wastewater facility that processed fracking wastewater from the oil and gas industry have been found to contain radium.

Optical analysis and machine learning techniques can now readily detect microplastics in marine and freshwater environments using inexpensive porous metal substrates.

Some teabags manufactured using plastic alternatives do not degrade in soil and have the potential to harm terrestrial species, a new study has shown.

The study, a collaboration between researchers at Imperial College London and GNS Science, suggests that reducing plastic pollution by 5% per year would stabilize the level of microplastics – plastics less than 5 mm in length – in the surface oceans.

Research suggests that plastic pollution must be reduced by at least 5% every year to make progress towards UN targets by the end of the century.

What if there was a biodegradable packaging material with high performance without leaving microplastics? A new coating for paper packaging could be the answer.