microplastics News

Plymouth - It's been long-known that the traditional LEGO brick takes along time to breakdown, which is something of concern in the context of plastic pollution. New research shows just how long it takes a humble brick to fully decompose.

The challenge to the environment posed by microplastics has received considerable attention and some different solutions have been proposed, as efforts are made to reduce reliance upon plastics. One solution involves microbes.

Research from a leading international expert on the health of the Great Lakes suggests that the growing intensity and scale of pollution from plastics poses serious risks to human health and will continue to have profound consequences on the ecosystem.

The Tara Ocean Foundation project has revealed the extent of plastic pollution in the rivers of Europe, based on the environmental project's latest analysis. The plastics are adversely impacting marine biodiversity.

Tuktoyaktuk - Canadian researchers working with hunters from the Inuvialuit community of Tuktoyaktuk, in the Northwest Territories in Canada, were surprised to find microplastics in the digestive systems of beluga whales hunted for food.

Geneva - The World Health Organization (WHO) said Thursday the level of microplastics in drinking-water is not yet dangerous for humans but called for more research into potential future risk.

Microplastics have been detected in every part of planet, on land and in the oceans. New research finds microplastic particles are drifting down with the snow with events recorded in the Alps and the Arctic.

Boulder - USGS researchers analyzing rainwater samples for nitrogen pollution in the Rocky Mountains found an unanticipated addition to the rainwater they studied - Microplastic fibers, and not just a few, but a lot of them.

A new study is the first to report microplastics in fractured limestone aquifers - a groundwater source that accounts for 25 percent of the global drinking water supply.

Waterloo - Microfibers have become a serious threat to our drinking water, and while no studies on their impact on human health have been done, a group of entrepreneurs has come up with something that looks like a dryer sheet that attracts and removes the fibers.

As we have learned, plastic pollution is not just a problem affecting our oceans. We are now ingesting tiny bits of plastic in our tap water. So this problem leaves but one question - Is there a solution?

A new study looked at microplastics in drinking water in 14 countries globally. Besides giving us information on how widely spread these microplastics really are, the study also highlights the need for added studies on possible human health risks.

Geneva - Plastic pollution of the oceans has been highlighted as a significant ecological concern, with billions of pieces of plastic floating in the oceans. A new concern are the ‘microfibers’ released from clothing when washed in domestic washing machines.

An analysis of 16 brands of sea salt originating from eight different countries found all but one contained traces of micro plastics

Key Largo - Yoga pants, Patagonia's cozy jackets, sweat-wicking athletic wear and other types of comfortable clothing all have one thing in common — these items are emerging as a major source of pollution in our waterways, lakes and oceans.

London - Microplastic particles are consumed by marine life as a result of human pollution. In turn, the particles may pose a health risk to humans. This concern is sufficient to trigger a research study.

Many of us scrutinize over the labels when we buy our food, but do many of us think about what’s in our cosmetics and personal hygiene products? A study has found a worrisome amount of plastic beads in the Great Lakes that originate from body scrubs.

The debris from the tsunami which struck eastern Japan two years ago today could still be washing up on the western seaboard of Canada and the United States decades from now with, as yet, unknown consequences for marine life.