Recent studies reveal that tiny pieces of plastic are constantly lofted into the atmosphere. These particles can travel thousands of miles and affect the formation of clouds, which means they have the potential to impact temperature, rainfall, and even climate change. Plastic has become an obvious pollutant over recent decades,Continue Reading
This is an as-told-to-essay based on a conversation with Laura Hardman, 33, the mother of a 5-month-old and the director of the Ocean Wise Plastic Initiative at the Ocean Wise Plastic Lab in Vancouver, Canada. Hardman does research on microplastics — tiny pieces of plastic debris that are broken downContinue Reading
PITTSBURGH — A group of citizen scientists have observed a substantial influx of nurdles — small plastic pellets about the size of a lentil — in the Ohio River, which provides drinking water to more than five million people. “In the last few months, we’ve seen a huge surge inContinue Reading
Graphical abstract. Credit: Environmental Science & Technology (2022). DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.2c05850 Researchers from the University of Auckland calculated that 74 metric tons of microplastics are dropping out of the atmosphere onto the city annually, the equivalent of more than 3 million plastic bottles falling from the sky. The study, published inContinue Reading
Scientists have recently become aware that tiny fragments of plastic waste are almost everywhere, from the highest and lowest points on the earth’s surface to beer, tap water, living lung tissue and even human fetuses—all the result of the ubiquitous manufacturing of the material and a failure to seek outContinue Reading
Recycling and reuse alone will not solve the problem of increased plastic production. A broad approach is needed to reduce and replace plastics. Fortunately, alternatives to plastic are emerging with significant environmental and commercial potential. Over the past few years, sorting plastic for recycling has become a daily chore forContinue Reading
PLOS ONE recently published a new Collection of research entitled Recent Advances in Understanding Plastic Pollution. Given the broad scope of this collection, and the potential implications this research has on both humans the rest of the biosphere globally, we are digging deeper into the findings with some of theContinue Reading
CHARLESTOWN, R.I. – Researchers from the University of Rhode Island are collecting and analyzing microplastics in Narragansett Bay, coastal ponds, Worden and Roger Williams Park freshwater ponds, and the Blackstone River, to determine which types of plastics are most prevalent and where most of them are found. At an Aug.Continue Reading
An environmental advocacy group in Durham has been pushing for a countywide proposal to put a 10-cent fee on single-use plastic bags. Activists across the state have been eagerly watching to see if Durham’s local government officials will move forward on what would be the only policy on the booksContinue Reading
By Will Atwater An environmental advocacy group in Durham has been pushing for a county-wide proposal to put a 10-cent fee on single-use plastic bags. Activists across the state have been eagerly watching to see if Durham’s local government officials will move forward on what would be the only policyContinue Reading
