Microplastics can be the size of a grain of rice, finer than the width of a human hair, or “nanoplastic” size, which is small enough to infiltrate cells. Because of their size, microplastics can be ingested by a wide range of creatures, including us. Tiny Particles, Big Concerns The s...
In warm ocean water, plastics can undergo photodegradation more quickly— though not without causing environmental harm. As plastics break down into smaller pieces, they produce small pieces of plastic (i.e., less than 5mm in length) known as “microplastics” that can be mistaken for food by...
In fact, plastic bags that make their way into rivers, lakes, or oceans never completely biodegrade. Instead, they break down into smaller and smaller pieces,eventually becoming “microplastics,”which are less than 5 millimeters long. But although thesemicroplastics aren’t as visually intrusiveas ...
Jeanne Hankett, Sustainability Lead at BASF and manager of BASF’s Biodegradation and Microplastics Center of Excellence; Staci Wegener, Business Director, Polyurethanes in BASF Performance Materials North America*; Elizabeth Miller, Technical Service and Development Representative for Polyurethane Flexible F...
Thermal treatment of fresh unused filters at 450 掳C for 4 h was effective as it reduced the MP count by 50%. Working solutions are mainly contaminated, and their pre-filtration is essential. The average deposition of MPs in blank samples during seven days was around 55 MPs....
Do we also need to pay more attention to invisible microplastics shed by synthetic cloths? Photo by John Gordinier courtesy of US Air Force. Microfiber cloths are plastic cloths, which might make you wonder if they cause environmental problems as well as solve them. Public concern about the ...
(2016) demonstrated that the incorporation of microplastics into faecal pellets reduced their densities, provoking a 2.25-fold reduction in sinking velocities and a higher propensity for fragmentation of the pellet. These faecal pellets serve as an indirect pathway of plastic ingestion, and influence ...
Plastic is a problem in the oceans as creatures eat it and most animals including humans have microplastics circulating in their bodies. As yet, the level of danger micro-plastics can cause in our bodies is still being researched. It is unlikely that ingestion of such synthetic products off...
“When the issue with microplastics was explained to pupils, they opted to stop using glitter. The kids drove the decision and although biodegradable glitter exists, they just won’t have it,” says Alderson. Since implementing plastic-free initiatives, the head has been inundated with emails fro...
use plastic water bottles. Plastic waste has been shown to beharmful to the environment and our health. Plastic waste does not decompose quickly. Instead, it breaks down into dangerous microplastic particles. Microplastics are difficult to track and can easily make their way into our water and ...