microplastics

The winding trail of environmental microplastics is leading researchers to the human digestive ecosystem.

The sea surface is home to a diverse group of animals adapted to life in the open ocean, but increasingly, they’re sharing that space with plastic debris.

A study finds that not only did aquatic bacteria thrive when chemicals washed from degrading plastic were introduced into lake water, they also broke down organic matter more efficiently.

Laboratory experiments find that Toxoplasma, Cryptosporidium, and Giardia can congregate on microplastic beads and fibers, suggesting they might make their way into and around the world’s oceans by hitching rides on tiny bits of trash.

In Chapter 5, "Pick Up the Pieces," author Erica Cirino investigates the potential health risks of the small plastic particles that permeate the planet.

Plastic waste pervades every ecosystem on Earth and is likely affecting neurobiology as well.

The project did not assess any implications for children’s health, but the authors recommend changing up how parents use baby bottles to reduce the amount of plastic in formula or breastmilk.

A new report finds no evidence of a current danger from microplastics, but the World Health Organization urges further research.

Converting biowaste to plant food is an overlooked source of tiny plastic pollutants, researchers say.

Meet some of the people featured in the June 2017 issue of The Scientist.

Contamination of marine and terrestrial ecosystems by microplastics is putting individual organisms at risk.

Lab studies suggest that plastic pollutants in the environment could have detrimental effects on animals’ physiology.

Both macroplastic items, such as bags, bottles, and other packaging, and products containing micro- and nanoplastic particles—from cosmetics to paints—contaminate the Earth’s ecosystems.