This site uses cookies to improve your experience. To help us insure we adhere to various privacy regulations, please select your country/region of residence. If you do not select a country, we will assume you are from the United States. Select your Cookie Settings or view our Privacy Policy and Terms of Use.
Cookie Settings
Cookies and similar technologies are used on this website for proper function of the website, for tracking performance analytics and for marketing purposes. We and some of our third-party providers may use cookie data for various purposes. Please review the cookie settings below and choose your preference.
Used for the proper function of the website
Used for monitoring website traffic and interactions
Cookie Settings
Cookies and similar technologies are used on this website for proper function of the website, for tracking performance analytics and for marketing purposes. We and some of our third-party providers may use cookie data for various purposes. Please review the cookie settings below and choose your preference.
Strictly Necessary: Used for the proper function of the website
Performance/Analytics: Used for monitoring website traffic and interactions
The last decade has seen some progress with studying plastic pollution, but there are still significant challenges, such as a lack of comparability of reported results, especially when it comes to microplastic particles. Few studies of pollution by MPs have been published in Brazil, especially regarding inland aquatic areas.
Researchers at Hong Kong Polytechnic University have developed a seemingly new technique to trap and recover microplastics. The method uses bacterial biofilms, a sticky substance created by micro-organisms, to trap microplastic particles. In bioreactors, this makes the microplastics more convenient to collect, according to Liu.
Geoscience technology firm CGG has conducted a microplasticspollution survey as part of a scoping study into whether it would be possible to create a “Plastic Free zone” on Yr Wyddfa (Snowdon). On Yr Wyddfa (Snowdon), microplastic content was naturally highest where people congregate in large numbers.
Microplastics have become so widespread that they have been discovered in fresh Antarctic snow. Microplastics are minute pieces of plastic – less than five millimeters in length. However, typical plastic waste isn’t the only source of microplastics. Just imagine how many microplastics they consume by chewing toys.
Dr Rosa Busquets is Associate Professor in Analytical Chemistry and Forensics at Kingston University What are microplastics, why are they such a problem and what can be done to reduce the pollution they cause? From studies involving organisms, we know that microplastics can cause inflammation, which is a common step in many diseases.
Scientists at UBC’s BioProducts Institute find that if you add tannins to a layer of wood dust, you can create a filter that traps virtually all microplastic particles present in water, according to recently reported research. When tested in mouse models, the process was proved to prevent the accumulation of microplastics in the organs.
While many previous reports had documented the buildup of plastic bottles and bags in the natural environment, much less attention had been paid to what the scientists dubbed “microplastics.” One thing that has become much clearer since the early 2000s is the sheer extent of microplasticpollution.
No human organ is safe from microplastic contamination, it seems — not even the testicles. Researchers at the University of Mexico recently tested 70 samples of testicular tissue — 47 from dogs and 23 from humans — and found microplastics in every single one. So how do the microplastics get into people’s bodies?
Methods for the analysis of microplastic particles in a sample (of water) are beset by challenges such as high error rates and a high time requirement. The chemical characterization of the microplastic particles is based on their absorption of infrared light. Near-surface analysis.
The study also found that tyre wear particles significantly outweighed other forms of microplastics, such as plastic fibres and fragments, in the samples collected but that they were also removed in far greater quantities. Easy come, easy go? It was funded by UK National Highways.
Microplastics are a pathway for pathogens on land to reach the ocean. The study, published today in the journal Scientific Reports, is the first to connect microplastics in the ocean with land-based pathogens. It can lead to consequences for human and wildlife health, according to a study from the University of California, Davis.
A new report attempts to provide a diagnostic of the scale of the ocean pollution challenge facing humanity. The Invisible Wave: Getting to zero chemical pollution in the ocean has been prodeuced by Back to Blue, an initiative of Economist Impact and The Nippon Foundation.
In more modern times, support for aquaculture has ebbed and flowed along with concerns about animal health and welfare, worries over the effluent pollution caused by wastewater discharges, and the unintended impacts of production infrastructure such as pipes and pumps on natural ecosystems. Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO).
In their quest to develop a fully organic line, it was initially difficult to find organic fabrics that were both affordable and available in an array of unique colors and textures. Organic Is The New Black. Organic cotton is less water intensive than conventional cotton. Keep Your Partners Close.
A new briefing paper from Imperial College London attempts a deep dive on the pollution produced by the particles sloughed off from vehicle tyres. Even if all our vehicles eventually become powered by electricity instead of fossil fuels, we will still have harmful pollution from vehicles because of tyre wear. “We
Petroleum-based plastics can take up to 500 years to decompose, slowly releasing toxic chemical additives into the surrounding environment and breaking down into harmful microplastics. The post 5 Types of Bioplastics: Starch, Cellulose, Protein, Organic, Aliphatic Polyesters appeared first on Green Business Bureau.
The scientists say that enriching waters with particular species of bacteria could be a natural way to remove plastic pollution from the environment. The effect is pronounced: the rate of bacterial growth more than doubled when plastic pollution raised the overall carbon level in lake water by just 4%.
Artist Maarten Vanden Eynde discusses microplastics and nanoplastics, and the challenge they present with ocean pollution, at a 2017 event, Biotalk (image credit: FotoMediamatic , CC BY-NC 2.0 The health effects of such environmental pollution is not well understood. More than 90% of tap water in the U.S.
The top prize (of $75,000 — this is not the science fair from your high school gym) went to Grace Sun for her project “Novel Chemical Doping Strategy to Enhance N-Type Organic Electrochemical Transistors.” For my project that year, I actually did plastic pollution, which is how this kind of all started. Justin: Ms.
Nanoplastic pollution has been detected in polar regions for the first time, indicating that the tiny particles are now pervasive around the world. The nanoparticles are smaller and more toxic than microplastics, which have already been found across the globe, but the impact of both on people’s health is unknown.
Microplastics are everywhere: We know that much. Even the definition of “microplastics” is slippery. And not all rivers carry the same load of microplastics. Road run-off is another source – and vehicle tyres are a particular contributor to this pollution. But should we be worried? What can we do about it?
Almost 2,000 times more particle pollution is produced by tire wear than is pumped out of the exhausts of modern cars, tests have shown. Air pollution causes millions of early deaths a year globally. These are also emitted from exhausts and are of special concern to health, as their size means they can enter organs via the bloodstream.
Environmental monitoring expert CGG Environmental Science and partners have used a number of techniques to characterise micropollutants and contaminants, including microplastics and synthetic fibres, captured by domestic and industrial filters.
Researchers from Washington-based advocacy organization Environmental Working Group said they had calculated that eating one fish in a year equated to ingesting water with PFOS at 48 parts per trillion, or ppt, for one month. Our research shows that the most common disposal methods may end up leading to further environmental pollution.”
An aerial view of the Great Pacific Garbage Patch, also known as Plastic Island, which comprises mainly plastic, light metals and organic residues of garbage. ’) profiles industry data on the topic, with specific sections on plastic bags, straws, bottles, and microplastics. Where does it come from?
The Baltic Sea had the highest levels of microplastics in Europe, double the amount in the Mediterranean?. • New research from the round-the-world yacht race The Ocean Race* has found microplastics, and in particular microfibres, to be prevalent across the length and breadth of the continent. fragmented fishing gear and lines.
A new study from Canadian non-profit Ocean Wise has shown that synthetic fibres, many released from clothing and textiles during domestic laundry, make up a large proportion of microplastics in the Arctic Ocean. The study again underscores the vulnerability of the Arctic to environmental change and to pollutants transported from the south.
The group started the crusade, called Operation Plastic Pollution Purge, last year. It’s an especially important value to instill in new sailing enthusiasts, and something organization says it is uniquely situated to do given its 300 schools and 7,000 instructors. “It In terms of our own health, it’s not good.”.
Living systems have evolved to reconstitute waste — creatures like dung beetles fill an ecological niche of breaking down other organisms’ faeces — but waste is a problem that still plagues human systems. Scaling theory allowed us to extract overarching broad stroke patterns and transcend the individuality of each city,” said Lu.
The spotlight If you’ve read any climate-related news in the past several years, you’re probably familiar with the scourge of microplastics. A study published just last month in the journal Toxicological Sciences tested 62 placentas, and found microplastics, in varying concentrations, in every single one.
But several plastics researchers are already disputing this new work, as well as Ocean Cleanup’s approach to the pollution problem. When plastic debris end up in the ocean, they break into smaller microplastics, often invisible to the human eye, that swirl in the water column or sink to the bottom of the sea. And even if.06
All materials do this, even plastics, which break down into what we call microplastics – i.e. plastic particles smaller than 5mm. However, we call biodegradable those products that decompose into organic material with the help of bacteria – and without leaving toxins behind. As such, it’s not a very precise term.
If the sourcing is done carefully, fake fish also should be devoid of the mercury and microplastics that can stem from ocean plastic pollution. This is just a sampling of the organizations exploring the seafood-analog realm. Kelp-based "shrimp" is kosher and won't trigger a life-threatening shellfish allergy. What's next?
What makes this particularly worrisome is that humans can be exposed to endocrine-disrupting chemicals simply by touching plastic, inhaling microplastics within dust, and eating food or drinking water that has been in contact with plastic. Those facing the greatest risk tend to be residents of low-income communities and people of color.
The survey showed over a third of smokers (34%) believe it takes less than a year for a cigarette butt to decompose but the truth is it doesn’t ever decompose and can take up to 10 years to start breaking down into microplastics.
A recent McGill University study found that just one plastic teabag can leach billions of microplastic particles into your beverage. Next, the research duo collaboratively ran tests and analyses in the laboratory to discover the amount of microplastics being released after steeping the teabag. billion microplastic particles and 3.1
The researchers found that some “weathered” microplastics tended to absorb and release more contaminants than pristine microplastics, posing a threat to human health if these microplastics are ingested.
Researchers from the University Medical Centre (UMC) Utrecht recently announced that cells exposed to microplastics experience cell death three times faster than those that are not. With microplasticpollution everywhere, the findings are sobering. The term microplastics has steadily crept into contemporary literature.
Due to extensive land, water and resource requirements and the resulting emissions and pollutants, meat and dairy products easily take the cake for foods with the largest carbon footprints. Buy organic. It’s a win-win situation. Buy foods that are less resource intensive. Land use and farm-stage processes (i.e.
Choosing reclaimed wood reduces the fossil fuel use and pollution that comes from clearing and processing trees into lumber. And unlike wood and PVC, Tangent Materials structural lumber doesn’t need to be chemically treated, avoiding the release of harmful pollutants into the air, water and ground. Arqlite , a member of the U.S.
By making the shift from using harmful pollutants, to something environmentally friendly and recyclable, you are saying a lot about your business without having to say anything at all. Small fish and organisms can mistake any sort of microplastics as food and ingest them causing illness or death. Lets Go Green.
Bio-based materials are intentionally made from living organisms. Organic definition. Organic means to come from living plants and animals. Non-organic means to be built from non-living, synthetic chemicals. Decomposition does not have to involve living organisms. Biodegradation definition. The end product.
And even then, the bags only break down to remain as microplastics that accumulate within the food chain. Eco friendly bags cause less water and land pollution Plastic bags are lightweight, meaning they travel long distances through the wind and water. Microplastics enter food chains, transferring from one species to another.
Due to extensive land, water and resource requirements and the resulting emissions and pollutants, meat and dairy products easily take the cake for foods with the largest carbon footprints. Buy organic. It’s a win-win situation. Buy foods that are less resource intensive. Land use and farm-stage processes (i.e.
We organize all of the trending information in your field so you don't have to. Join 12,000+ users and stay up to date on the latest articles your peers are reading.
You know about us, now we want to get to know you!
Let's personalize your content
Let's get even more personalized
We recognize your account from another site in our network, please click 'Send Email' below to continue with verifying your account and setting a password.
Let's personalize your content