Microplastics

The study identified 16 different microplastic polymer types across both contemporary and archived samples. Credit: York Archaeology Researchers have for the first time discovered evidence of microplastic contamination in archaeological soil samples. The team discovered tiny microplastic particles in deposits located more than 7 meters deep, in…

Even when it’s ground into microparticles, 97% of an algae-based plastic biodegrades in compost and water in under seven months, a new study has reported. The researchers hope their plastic will eventually replace existing petroleum-based ones, which have caused concern due to their effects on health and the environment.In recent years, there has been a great deal of chatter about – and research into – microplastics, the tiny, almost indestructible fragments shed from everyday plastic products. Much of that research has…

This story was originally published by Grist. Sign up for Grist’s weekly newsletter here.Coastal Animals Are Thriving on Plastic Pollution Out in the Pacific Ocean | Extreme EarthLast month, Democratic New York City Council Member James Gennaro introduced a bill that would change the way countless New Yorkers do their laundry — by banning laundry detergent pods.More specifically, the bill — dubbed “Pods Are Plastic” — proposed a ban on dishwashing and laundry detergent pods coated in polyvinyl alcohol, or PVA, a type of…

Microplastics Linked to Heart Attack, Stroke and DeathPeople who had tiny plastic particles lodged in a key blood vessel were more likely to experience serious health problems or die during a three-year studyBy Max Kozlov & Nature magazine Credit: Credit: Khanchit Khirisutchalual/Getty ImagesPlastics are just about everywhere — food packaging, tyres, clothes, water pipes. And they shed microscopic particles that end up in the environment and can be ingested or inhaled by people.Now the first data of their kind show a…

Microplastics are everywhere. In fact, we even saw major bottled water brands reporting microplastic contamination back in 2018, which means they’re likely also in our everyday drinking water. Thankfully, scientists say there is an easy way to remove most of the microplastics from your drinking water.The surprising answer to how to remove microplastics from your drinking water is to boil the liquid and then run it through a filter. Researchers from the Guangzhou Medical University and Jinan University in China…

Tiny fragments of microplastics are making their way deep inside our bodies in concerning quantities, significantly through our food and drink.Scientists have now found a simple and effective means of removing them from water.A team from Guangzhou Medical University and Jinan University in China ran tests on both soft water and hard tap water (which is richer in minerals), adding in nanoplastics and microplastics (NMPs) before boiling the liquid and then filtering out any precipitates.In some cases, up to 90 percent of…

Boiling and filtering tap water rich in calcium can remove nearly 90% of nano- and microplastics, offering a simple, cost-effective solution to reduce plastic consumption and mitigate environmental pollution. This approach is effective in both hard and soft water, highlighting its potential as a widespread method for purifying drinking water from plastic contaminants. Credit: Eddy ZengNano- and microplastics are seemingly everywhere — water, soil, and the air. While many creative strategies have been attempted to get rid…

By Michael Haederle, University of New Mexico Health Sciences Center February 27, 2024Researchers at the University of New Mexico have discovered microplastics in all tested human placenta samples, revealing a concerning presence of these particles in the human body.Microplastics detected in all examined human placentas point to significant environmental contamination and health risks, with future research needed to understand the full implications.A flurry of recent studies has found that microplastics are present in…

It's been over three years since scientists first found microplastics swimming in four different human placentas, and as it turns out, that was just the tip of the iceberg.A few years later, at the start of 2023, researchers announced they had found microscopic particles of plastic waste in no fewer than 17 different placentas. By the end of 2023, a local study in Hawai'i analyzed 30 placentas that were donated between 2006 and 2021 only to find plastic contamination had increased significantly over time.Using a new…

Tiny fragments of plastic aren't only finding their way into animals, remote ice caps, oceans, and even the depths of our bodies. They're also seeping through layers of rock, making the emergence of plastics in the geological record a poor marker for the dawn of the human age.In a new study, sediment samples from three different lakes in Latvia – Seksu, Pinku, and Usmas – were analyzed to see how deep microplastics had sunk. The results showed that smaller particles could travel deeper into the mud, reaching layers laid…