The Elephant
A resource for journalists, politicians, policy makers, activists and citizens interested in climate change and the environmental emergency
The ElephantA resource for journalists, politicians, policy makers, activists and citizens interested in climate change and the environmental emergency
Landmark study links microplastics to serious health problems
2024-03-06 in NaturePeople who had tiny plastic particles lodged in a key blood vessel were more likely to experience heart attack, stroke or death during a three-year study. People who had tiny plastic particles lodged in a key blood vessel were more likely to experience heart attack, stroke or death during a three-year study.
Tagged under: Health | Microplastics and Nanoplastics
Should I worry about microplastics?
2024-02-04 in The GuardianThese tiny particles are polluting the planet, including our bodies. How bad for us are they really?
Tagged under: Microplastics and Nanoplastics | Health
Average Liter of Bottled Water Contains 240,000 'Toxic' Plastic Particles
2024-01-09 in Common DreamsScientists found that 90% of those particles were nanoplastics, particles less than a micrometer whose small size makes them potentially more dangerous than microplastics.
Tagged under: Microplastics and Nanoplastics
Fighting Dirty challenge over axing of pledge to test sewage sludge fertiliser for contaminants | Leigh Day
2024-01-04 (or before) in leighday.co.ukFighting Dirty launches legal challenge to the Environment Agency for axing commitment to require agricultural fertiliser sewage sludge to be tested for microplastics and forever chemicals.
Tagged under: Microplastics and Nanoplastics | Pollution | PFAS aka Forever Chemicals | Activism
Microplastics found in clouds could affect weather and global temperatures
2023-11-16 in The GuardianScientists in eastern China find 24 out of 28 water samples have plastic particles commonly seen in synthetic fibers and packaging
Tagged under: Microplastics and Nanoplastics
Airborne hydrophilic microplastics in cloud water at high altitudes and their role in cloud formation - Environmental Chemistry Letters
2023-11-16 (or before) in Springer VerlagMicroplastic pollution is occurring in most ecosystem, yet their presence in high altitude clouds and their influence on cloud formation and climate change are poorly known. Here we analyzed microplastics in cloud water sampled at the summits of Japan mountains at 1300–3776 m altitude by attenuated total reflection imaging and micro-Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. We observed nine microplastics including polyethylene, polypropylene, polyethylene terephthalate, polymethyl methacrylate, polyamide 6, polycarbonate, ethylene–propylene copolymer or polyethylene–polypropylene alloy, polyurethane, and epoxy r...
Tagged under: Microplastics and Nanoplastics
Microplastic-eating plankton may be worsening crisis in oceans, say scientists
2023-11-09 in The GuardianRotifers could be accelerating risk by splitting particles into thousands of potentially more dangerous nanoplastics
Tagged under: Microplastics and Nanoplastics | Oceans | Wildlife
EU to crack down further on microplastics after glitter ban
2023-10-17 in The GuardianThe European Commission aims to cut plastic pellet pollution by 74% by the end of the decade
Tagged under: Microplastics and Nanoplastics
Microplastics detected in clouds hanging atop two Japanese mountains
2023-10-09 in The GuardianFindings regarding clouds above Mount Fuji and Mount Oyama highlight how microplastics are highly mobile
Tagged under: Microplastics and Nanoplastics | Japan
Japanese scientists find microplastics are present in clouds | Environment News | Al Jazeera
2023-09-29 (or before) in Al JazeeraJapanese scientists have found between 6.7 and 13.9 pieces of microplastic in each litre of cloud water tested.
Tagged under: Microplastics and Nanoplastics | Middle East | Japan
The Invisible Assault of Microplastics: A Silent Problem Requiring Urgent Attention
2023-09-27 (or before) in TiredearthTagged under: Microplastics and Nanoplastics
Road Hazard: Evidence Mounts on Toxic Pollution from Tires
2023-09-26 (or before) in Yale E360Researchers are only beginning to uncover the toxic cocktail of chemicals, microplastics, and heavy metals hidden in car and truck tires. But experts say these tire emissions are a significant source of air and water pollution and may be affecting humans as well as wildlife.
Tagged under: Microplastics and Nanoplastics | Wildlife
Microplastics are hidden in your home. Here’s how to avoid them.
2023-08-27 (or before) in National GeographicThe air, water, and food in your home is full of tiny, microscopic plastic particles. Here’s where you can find the most common sources—and eliminate them.
Tagged under: Microplastics and Nanoplastics | Health
Microplastics infiltrate all systems of body, cause behavioral changes
2023-08-26 (or before) in The University of Rhode IslandKINGSTON, R.I. — Aug. 30, 2023 — Plastics—in particular, microplastics—are among the most pervasive pollutants on the planet, finding their way into the air, water systems and food chains around the world. While the prevalence of microplastics in the environment is well known—as are their negative impacts on marine organisms—few studies have examined the potential […]
Tagged under: Microplastics and Nanoplastics
How microplastics end up in the marine atmosphere
2023-08-16 (or before) in Phys.org - News and Articles on Science and TechnologyMicroplastic particles are present in the marine atmosphere even in remote parts of the world. These tiny particles come from land sources but are also re-emitted into the atmosphere from the sea, a study by a team of German and Norwegian researchers led by Dr. Barbara Scholz-Böttcher of the University of Oldenburg has shown.
Tagged under: Microplastics and Nanoplastics
Nanoplastics Are Entering Our Bodies
2023-07-22 by in Deep Green Resistance News ServicePlastic has become ubiquitous. Not just in use in our daily lives but in a pervasive form that it has entered our ecosystem and our bodies.
Tagged under: Microplastics and Nanoplastics
Microplastics found in every sample of water taken during the Ocean Race
2023-06-05 in The GuardianConcentrations of plastics in round-the-world race through remote ocean environments found to be up to 18 times higher than during previous event in 2017-18
Tagged under: Microplastics and Nanoplastics | Oceans
The potential for a plastic recycling facility to release microplastic pollution and possible filtration remediation effectiveness
2023-05-28 (or before) in ScienceDirect.comWith current plastic production and the growing problem of global plastic pollution, an increase and improvement in plastic recycling is needed. There…
Tagged under: Microplastics and Nanoplastics
Recycling can release huge quantities of microplastics, study finds
2023-05-23 in The GuardianScientists find high levels of microplastics in wastewater from unnamed UK plant – and in air surrounding facility
Tagged under: Microplastics and Nanoplastics
How recycling centers could be making our plastics problem worse - The Washington Post
2023-05-22 in The Washington PostA study of one recycling facility in the United Kingdom estimated anywhere between 6 to 13 percent of the plastic processed could end up being released into water or the air as microplastics.
Tagged under: Microplastics and Nanoplastics
What Is the Great Pacific Ocean Garbage Patch?
2023-01-31 (or before) in Sustainable & Eco Friendly eCommerce Packaging | SR MailingThe Great Pacific Ocean Garbage Patch is considered by many to be one of humanity’s biggest crimes against the planet – and really, just the name of it gives away the horror of what it actually is, considering the size of the Pacific Ocean. We talk a lot about what can be done to save the planet here at SR Mailing, and that’s because we’re absolutely passionate about it! The fact that there is so much to be done, and that there is so much that we can all be doing in our daily lives that can help us to save planet Earth from global warming and climate change. The issue, of course, is much, much bigger than...
Tagged under: Microplastics and Nanoplastics | Oceans | Greenhouse Gases | Climate Change | Pacific Ocean | Methane | Fish | Rivers | Whales and Dolphins | Wildlife | Economic Growth | Great Barrier Reef | Coral Reefs | California | South America | BP | Sea Level | Indonesia
Microplastics May Be a Significant Cause of Male Infertility
2023-01-25 (or before) in National Center for Biotechnology InformationDue to the problematic degradation properties of plastics, the decomposition of plastic results in the formation of numerous microplastics (MPs), less than 5 mm in diameter. These MPs enter the soil and the ocean, eventually passing through the air, water, ...
Tagged under: Microplastics and Nanoplastics | Oceans
Exposure to environmental toxins may be root of rise in neurological disorders
2022-10-23 in The GuardianDoctors warn exposure to omnipresent yet poorly understood chemicals such as microplastics could play a role in dementia
Tagged under: Microplastics and Nanoplastics | PFAS aka Forever Chemicals
Microplastics found in human breast milk for the first time
2022-10-07 in The GuardianExclusive: Researchers concerned over potential health impacts of chemical contaminants on babies
Tagged under: Microplastics and Nanoplastics | Health | Women and Children
Scientists unveil bionic robo-fish to remove microplastics from seas
2022-06-22 in The GuardianTiny self-propelled robo-fish can swim around, latch on to free-floating microplastics and fix itself if it gets damaged
Tagged under: Microplastics and Nanoplastics | Oceans | Fish
Plastitar: mix of tar and microplastics is new form of pollution, say scientists
2022-06-13 in The GuardianResearchers in Canary Islands coin term for new type of marine pollution they say could be leaking toxic chemicals into oceans
Tagged under: Microplastics and Nanoplastics | Oceans | Wildlife
Microplastics in sewage: a toxic combination that is poisoning our land | George Monbiot
2022-05-26 in The GuardianPolicy failure and a lack of enforcement have left our waterways and farmland vulnerable to ‘forever chemicals’, says Guardian columnist George Monbiot
Tagged under: Microplastics and Nanoplastics | Farming
Microplastics found deep underground in UK waters
2022-03-21 in The GuardianFears for water quality as swimmers discover invisible microfibres in samples 400 feet underground
Tagged under: Microplastics and Nanoplastics | Rivers
Nanoplastic pollution found at both of Earth’s poles for first time
2022-01-21 in The GuardianTiny particles including tyre dust found in ice cores stretching back 50 years, showing global plastic contamination
Tagged under: Arctic | Microplastics and Nanoplastics | Antarctic
Accumulation of Microplastic on Shorelines Woldwide: Sources and Sinks
2021-12-30 (or before) in American Chemical SocietyTagged under: Microplastics and Nanoplastics
The Ocean Race discovers microfibres are rife in Europe’s seas
2021-12-30 (or before) by in theoceanrace.com* Microfibres were found in every sample taken by sailors this summer * The Baltic Sea was found to have the highest levels of microplastics in Europe, double the amount in the Mediterranean * The impact of the climate crisis on Europe’s seas was also measured
Tagged under: Microplastics and Nanoplastics | Oceans | Sea Level
Analysis of Microplastics in Human Feces Reveals a Correlation between Fecal Microplastics and Inflammatory Bowel Disease Status | Environmental Science & Technology
2021-12-22 (or before) in American Chemical SocietyFecal microplastics indicate human exposure and are correlated with inflammatory bowel disease.
Tagged under: Microplastics and Nanoplastics
No mountain high enough: study finds plastic in ‘clean’ air
2021-12-21 in The GuardianMicroplastics from Africa and North America found airborne in French Pyrenees, 2,877 metres above sea level
Tagged under: Microplastics and Nanoplastics | Africa | Sea Level | France
Acute riverine microplastic contamination due to avoidable releases of untreated wastewater - Nature Sustainability
2021-05-14 (or before) in NatureThe authors show how untreated wastewater laced with microplastics and raw sewage is routinely discharged into UK river flows that are too low to disperse the microplastics downstream. This discharge creates acute microplastic contamination of river beds that threatens biodiversity and the quality of riverine habitats.
Tagged under: Microplastics and Nanoplastics | Rivers | Sustainability
Microplastic contamination of river beds significantly reduced by catchment-wide flooding - Nature Geoscience
2021-04-12 (or before) in NatureWinter floods flushed out 70% of the microplastic contamination from riverbed sediments in northwest England, according to analyses of sediment samples from 40 rural and urban sites.
Tagged under: Microplastics and Nanoplastics | Rivers
Constraining the atmospheric limb of the plastic cycle
2021-04-12 (or before) in PNAS - Proceedings of the National Academy of ScienceMicroplastic particles and fibers generated from the breakdown of mismanaged waste are now so prevalent that they cycle through the earth in a manner akin to global biogeochemical cycles. In modeling the atmospheric limb of the plastic cycle, we show that most atmospheric plastics are derived from the legacy production of plastics from waste that has continued to build up in the environment. Roads dominated the sources of microplastics to the western United States, followed by marine, agriculture, and dust emissions generated downwind of population centers. At the current rate of increase of plastic production (∼4% per year)...
Tagged under: Microplastics and Nanoplastics
Magnets, vacuums and tiny nets: the new fight against microplastics
2021-02-18 in The GuardianTiny plastics are turning up in the air, our drinking water and our placentas. Here’s how innovators are handling the crisis
Tagged under: Microplastics and Nanoplastics | Oceans | Fish | Wildlife
Microplastics - Wikipedia
2021-02-11 (or before) in WikipediaTagged under: Microplastics and Nanoplastics
There is an Alarming Amount of Microplastics in Farm Soil—and Our Food Supply
2021-01-27 (or before) in Civil Eats - Promoting Critical Thought About Sustainable Agriculture And Food SystemsMore microplastics are contaminating agricultural lands than oceans, impacting plant development and ending up in produce and people.
Tagged under: Microplastics and Nanoplastics | Oceans | Farming
Device to curb microplastic emissions wins James Dyson award
2020-09-17 in The GuardianTyre attachment designed by four students aims to reduce road transport pollution
Tagged under: Microplastics and Nanoplastics | Greenhouse Gases
Microplastic pollution devastating soil species, study finds
2020-09-01 in The GuardianResearchers in China saw big reductions in organisms that play a crucial role in recycling carbon and nitrogen
Tagged under: Microplastics and Nanoplastics | China
Microplastic particles now discoverable in human organs
2020-08-17 in The GuardianNew technique expected to enable scientists to find accumulated microplastics in humans
Tagged under: Microplastics and Nanoplastics | Health
Car tyres are major source of ocean microplastics – study
2020-07-14 in The GuardianWind-borne microplastics are a bigger source of ocean pollution than rivers, say scientists
Tagged under: Microplastics and Nanoplastics | Oceans | Rivers
We constantly eat microplastics. What does that mean for our health?
2019-12-05 (or before) by in New ScientistTagged under: Microplastics and Nanoplastics | Oceans | Health
Tracing the journey of microplastics in the Arctic
2019-10-17 (or before) in Phys.org - News and Articles on Science and TechnologyBy now it's well established that microplastics are a problem in the environment, even in the remotest parts of the planet. But where do different microplastics come from and how they get there, especially in the Arctic?
Tagged under: Microplastics and Nanoplastics | Arctic
The biggest likely source of microplastics in California coastal waters? Our car tires
2019-10-02 in Los Angeles TimesDriving is not just an air pollution and climate change problem. Turns out, rubber particles from car tires might be the largest contributor of microplastics in California coastal waters, according to the most comprehensive study to date.
Tagged under: Microplastics and Nanoplastics | Oceans | California
It's raining plastic: microscopic fibers fall from the sky in Rocky Mountains
2019-08-13 in The GuardianDiscovery raises new questions about the amount of plastic waste permeating the air, water, and soil virtually everywhere on Earth
Tagged under: Microplastics and Nanoplastics | Colorado State
Microplastic pollution revealed ‘absolutely everywhere’ by new research
2019-03-07 in The GuardianContamination found across UK lakes and rivers, in US groundwater, along the Yantze river and Spanish coast, and harbouring dangerous bacteria in Singapore
Tagged under: Microplastics and Nanoplastics | Oceans | Rivers | Wildlife
Microplastic pollution in oceans is far worse than feared, say scientists
2018-03-12 in The GuardianA study reveals highest microplastic pollution levels ever recorded in a river in Manchester, UK and shows that billions of particles flooded into the sea from rivers in the area in just one year
Tagged under: Microplastics and Nanoplastics | Oceans | Rivers | Sea Level
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