It’s just a plastic fork, just a takeout container, just one water bottle. Not exactly. Indulging in the modern convenience of single-use plastics seems harmless, but the consequences to our health, wildlife, and oceans will be with us for a long time to come. Globally, we produce 300 million tons of plastic annually, about half […]
A new study from researchers at the University of Auckland has found about 74 million metric tons of microplastics rain down over Auckland, New Zealand each year. This amount of microplastics weighs around the same as over 3 million plastic water bottles. The study, published in the journal Environmental Science & Technology, analyzed over nine […]
Researchers at Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology (RMIT University) have discovered a way to use magnetic materials to quickly and affordably remove microplastics from water. The findings show the materials work to remove plastic particles 1,000 times smaller than plastics currently detectable in existing water treatment plants. The team developed an adsorbent from nanomaterials, including […]
Of the 8.3 metric tons of plastic produced in this world to date, 6.3 billion tons of that is trash, and less than 10% of it is recycled, which has created a global crisis, not just with the environment, but our health. Microplastics — tiny pieces of plastic debris, which result from the disposal and […]
New research has discovered another way that microplastic pollution might harm human health. The study, published in Environmental Pollution, is the first to prove that certain viruses can stay infectious by attaching themselves to plastics in a freshwater environment. “We found that viruses can attach to microplastics, which allows them to survive in the water […]
One of the dangers posed by microplastic pollution in the oceans is that fish and other marine life might eat it by mistake. But could a solution to the problem involve a robot designed to consume it on purpose? Researchers at Sichuan University in China have developed a proof-of-concept for a robotic fish that can […]
It is possible to breathe in microplastics. A study accepted for publication in Science of the Total Environment last month detected microplastics in the lung tissue of living people for the first time, and much deeper than the researchers expected. “We did not expect to find the highest number of particles in the lower regions […]
Scientists have a new weapon in the fight against microplastics, and it’s something you probably wouldn’t expect: okra goo. Turns out, what makes the insides of okra slimy also cause it to bind to tiny plastic particles. If commercialized and added to existing water treatment procedures, use of the plant extract could result in wide-ranging […]
There may be microscopic pieces of plastic water bottles or shopping bags floating around in your bloodstream. A study published in Environment International Thursday found microplastics in human blood for the first time. Furthermore, the tiny pieces of plastic were found in nearly 80 percent of the people tested. “Our study is the first indication […]
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