Microplastics

Graphical abstract. Credit: Environmental Science & Technology Letters (2023). DOI: 10.1021/acs.estlett.3c00729 From the depths of the seas to snow on mountains and even the air above cities, microplastics are turning up increasingly often. Now, in Environmental Science & Technology Letters, researchers have analyzed microplastics in clouds above mountains. They suggest that these tiny particles could play a role in…

New research this week is the latest to show that microplastics have polluted just about everywhere on Earth. Scientists discovered plastic particles in cloud samples collected from atop a mountain in Eastern China. The team also found evidence from lab experiments that these microplastics could potentially affect cloud formation and the weather, though more data will be needed to understand exactly how.Coastal Animals Are Thriving on Plastic Pollution Out in the Pacific Ocean | Extreme EarthThe study was led by…

An international team of researchers has discovered that the concentrations of plastic in freshwater environments, such as lakes and reservoirs, are higher than those found in oceanic “garbage patches.” The study, published in Nature, involved the analysis of surface waters from 38 lakes and reservoirs, revealing microplastic presence in all samples.Research from the Global Lake Ecological Observatory Network finds that freshwater environments like lakes and reservoirs have higher concentrations of plastic than oceanic…

Credit: CC0 Public Domain As scientists make the case that humans have fundamentally transformed the planet enough to warrant our own geological epoch, another question arises: is there anything left untouched by humanity's presence? Soaring greenhouse gases, ubiquitous microplastics, pervasive "forever chemicals", the global…

Tokyo Metropolitan University researchers have found that microplastics, particularly polystyrene foam, in Mongolia’s Tuul River carry high levels of heavy metals like copper and chromium. The study reveals that surface features such as holes and biofilms on microplastics enhance the collection of these pollutants, presenting potential environmental risks.Surface cracks and biofilms on plastic particles might help spread pollution.A team led by researchers from Tokyo Metropolitan University studied how microplastics in…

Your intestines are likely littered with tiny plastic specks, a now-common condition for humans and many other animals around the planet. The pieces are minuscule, but as researchers report in a new study, they may pose an outsized danger to human health.By testing how microplastics affect human intestinal organoids (small, self-organized tissue cultures that mimic real intestines), researchers found signs of potential inflammatory effects, including the release of cytokines linked to human inflammatory bowel disease…

Graphical abstract. Credit: Water Research (2023). DOI: 10.1016/j.watres.2023.120112 Diverting streams and rivers to irrigate crops or provide drinking water may significantly extend the time microplastics spend in river catchments before they flow into our oceans, a new study reveals. Publishing their findings in Water Research,…

The Frost nails its uncanny, disconcerting vibe in its first few shots. Vast icy mountains, a makeshift camp of military-style tents, a group of people huddled around a fire, barking dogs. It’s familiar stuff, yet weird enough to plant a growing seed of dread. There’s something wrong here.Welcome to the unsettling world of AI moviemaking. The Frost is a 12-minute movie from Detroit-based video creation company Waymark in which every shot is generated by an image-making AI. It’s one of the most impressive—and…

Here, bits of plastic can end up collecting various types of bacteria, which cling to their surfaces. Seabirds that ingest them not only end up with a stomach full of plastic—which can end up starving them—but also get introduced to types of bacteria that they wouldn’t encounter otherwise. It seems to disturb their gut microbiomes. There are similar concerns for humans. These tiny bits of plastic, floating and flying all over the world, could act as a “Trojan horse,” introducing harmful drug-resistant bacteria and their…

One of the most widespread pollutants in the ocean is also one of the hardest to see. Trillions of tiny particles of plastic—known as microplastics—can clog the intestines of fish, destroy the tissues of marine creatures, and cause entire populations to decline. Their small size also makes them almost impossible to clean up. Now, scientists have discovered a marine organism that’s not just invulnerable to microplastics, it may have a way to eliminate…