Microplastics get into our bodies, potentially altering how certain cells convert sugar into energy, especially in the gut. Continued ingestion could cause chronic problems.
plastics
Posted inFeatures
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.
Posted inOpinions
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.
Posted inResearch Spotlights
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.
Posted inResearch Spotlights
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.
Posted inNews
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.
Posted inNews
Tear, Don’t Cut, to Reduce Microplastics
Laboratory experiments reveal the numbers and types of microplastics produced by tearing, scissoring, and cutting everyday items.
Posted inNews
Bill Calls for Dramatically Cutting Plastic Pollution
With just 8% of plastic waste in the United States currently being recycled, the bill aims to set up an effective plastic recycling program and limit single-use plastic.
Posted inNews
Mixed Reviews for Bill to Curb Ocean Plastics Pollution
Although the Save Our Seas supporters include industry and the Ocean Conservancy, some environmental groups say the legislation won’t solve the problem.
Posted inResearch Spotlights
How Are Microplastics Transported to Polar Regions?
New modeling indicates that global subsurface ocean currents distribute submerged microplastics along very different routes than those traveled by floating plastic debris.