microplastics Archives - Science Connected Magazine

Plastic Waste Necessitates Policies for Producers

September 5, 2019September 5, 2019 Science Connectedenvironment, microplastics, ocean, plastic pollution, plastic recycling, plastic waste, science debate

By Neha Jain (@lifesciexplore) This article is part of a series about key science policy issues. Please use these articles to become an informed voter, ask political candidates about the issues, and put every candidate on record about science. Countries around the world, both developed and developing, have been grappling with growing piles of plastic waste from overuse of packaging materials, such as those for food and beverages, and single-use plastic tableware. In 2015, 42 percent of all plastic produced was used for packaging, much of which is used only…

Environment

Microplastics Contaminate Snow from Alps to Arctic

September 3, 2019August 29, 2019 Science Connectedarctic, environment, microplastics, plastic pollution, pollution, snow

By Jacqueline Mattos (@mattosjacq) Microplastics are tiny pieces of plastic that pollute the environment and can range from 0.05 to 5 millimeters in length. Bigger plastic items can be fragmented by the action of light, temperature fluctuations, ocean waves, or mechanical abrasion into smaller pieces that are widely dispersed, persistent in the environment, and sometimes accompanied by microorganisms. A recent article by Bergmann et al., published in the periodical Science Advances, assessed quantities of microplastics in the snow from the Alps and other northern European sites to the Arctic and…

Biology Environment Health

Plastic Pollution: An Emerging Threat Beneath Our Feet

April 5, 2018April 5, 2018 Science Connectedmicroplastics, oceans, plastic, pollution

By Emily Rhode @riseandsci Tiny plastic particles that can barely be seen by the human eye have made their way from our soil into everyday items we know—from earthworms to honey to the beer that we drink—bringing toxic chemicals with them wherever they go. The saying goes that what we can’t see can’t hurt us. Yet, what if these unseen particles are not only hurting us but also changing the entire course of biological evolution? Researchers in Germany have issued a new warning that these human-generated “microplastics” could potentially be…