Three quarters of the microplastic pollution in the Arctic ocean is made up of polyester fibres from clothing and other textiles, a study has found. Canadian experts sampled seawater from 71 locations, finding that synthetic fibres more broadly make up types 92 per cent of microplastic pollution in the Arctic. Furthermore, sea water in the Arctic … Read more
Microplastic pollution is not just damaging the oceans: Washing clothes releases 175,000 TONS of synthetic fibres on to land every year, study finds US experts analysed the amount of microfibers made and released each year They also considered how fibres are processed at wastewater treatment plants Here, the tiny threads of plastic end up in sludge for … Read more
Microplastics have been discovered inside every single sample of seafood bought at a market as part of a scientific study. Researchers cut open oysters, prawns, crabs, squids and sardines and studied them for any sign of microplastics. Sardines were found to be the worst affected and had ingested the largest amount of plastic, up to … Read more
Microplastics have been discovered inside every single sample of seafood bought at a market as part of a scientific study. Researchers cut open oysters, prawns, crabs, squids and sardines and studied them for any sign of microplastics. Sardines were found to be the worst affected and had ingested the largest amount of plastic, up to … Read more
Microplastics have been discovered in apples, carrots, pears, broccoli and lettuce, studies have revealed. Root vegetables including radishes, turnips and parsnips could also be contaminated with the man-made waste, prompting fears over the health impact. The tiny pollutants are thought to have been sucked into plants roots with water, and then travelled up the stem … Read more
Researchers reveal that birds of prey in Florida have been eating and drinking microplastics, and 86 percent comes from washing machine wastewater containing synthetic microfibers from cheap clothing Florida researchers found significant amounts of microplastics in birds of prey The research marks the first time anyone has confirmed plastics in birds of prey They analyzed … Read more
Microplastics shed from tyres are a major source of river and ocean pollution, UK government-backed study finds Researchers from Plymouth studied the sources and transport of microplastics These tiny polluting particles have been found in oceans and waterways globally Tyres now join plastic bags, clothes and cosmetic microbeads as key sources The findings may help the … Read more
Revealed: Caddis flies use plastic waste from their surroundings to build shells but the new protective layer actually makes it EASIER for predators to attack the mysterious underwater insects Caddis flies are small insects that live on riverbeds and pond bottoms Scientists found they built narrow shells for themselves with plastic waste The plastic shells … Read more
Ocean currents in the deep sea are creating microplastic ‘hotspots’ which host around 1.9 million tiny pieces of debris per square metre, scientists have revealed. US researchers say slow-moving currents near the bottom of the Mediterranean direct the flow of microplastics, creating plastic ‘hotpots’ in sediments of the deep sea. These currents also supply oxygen … Read more
Microplastics are found for the first time in Antarctic sea ice as human pollution reaches the most remote regions of the planet Ice core drilled in 2009 was analysed by the University of Tasmania scientists Found 96 total microplastic particles in the 3.5ft long chunk of sea ice More than a third (34%) of the … Read more