Researchers are using remote sensing to track floating mats of plastic trapped in water hyacinth plants.
plastics
Microscopic Hitchhikers Found on Deep-Sea Plastic
Are bacteria hailing a ride on plastic 2,000 meters deep?
The Alps Are Dusted with Nanoplastics
A new study finds the lofted pollutants came from major European cities, but further study is required to fully understand the plastics’ transport and deposition processes.
Microplastics Morph Cell Metabolism
Microplastics get into our bodies, potentially altering how certain cells convert sugar into energy, especially in the gut. Continued ingestion could cause chronic problems.
Cameroon’s Mangrove Forests Are Choking on Plastics
Rapid urbanization and insufficient waste management are threatening the environmentally and culturally vital Wouri Estuary. Solutions are needed to save these and other mangroves around the world.
Microplastics’ Hidden Contribution to Snow Melting
Microplastic particles, present everywhere on the planet, may complicate assessments of black carbon’s role in the melting of snow and of its contributions to Earth’s radiative balance.
Rastreando cómo se mueve el plástico en el océano costero
Investigadores utilizaron un tanque de olas para estudiar el movimiento de partículas de plástico de forma experimental y comprender el papel de la densidad de partículas en el comportamiento de deriva.
Tracking How Plastic Moves in the Coastal Ocean
Researchers used a wave tank to study the movement of plastic particles experimentally and to understand the role of particle density in drift behavior.
Below the Great Pacific Garbage Patch: More Garbage
New research is finding there’s more to marine debris than just what appears near the ocean surface, including tons of microplastics extending hundreds of meters into the deep.
Tear, Don’t Cut, to Reduce Microplastics
Laboratory experiments reveal the numbers and types of microplastics produced by tearing, scissoring, and cutting everyday items.