Water and plastic do not mix well. This is especially true for tiny plastic bits called microplastics. These tiny plastics float around in our oceans and rivers. The way they move and settle depends on many things. Their shape, how round they are, and even how they interact with water. When these plastics age, they change. This change affects how they move through wa...

Plastics are everywhere. They are in the ocean, in the soil, and even in our food. Scientists have uncovered a worrying trend: microplastics are making their way into human brains. This discovery has sparked a deeper look into how these tiny particles might be affecting our mental health. The brain is a delicate organ. It is protected by a barrier that keeps out har...

Plastics are everywhere. They are in the ocean, in the soil, and even in the air. The air in Shanghai, China, is no exception. A recent study dug into the types and sizes of tiny plastic particles floating around in the city's winter air. These particles are so small that they can be inhaled. They are called microplastics and nanoplastics. Microplastics are tin...

Microplastics are everywhere. They sneak into waterways, soil, and even the air we breathe. These tiny particles can wreak havoc on the heart, both directly and indirectly. To understand this better, a study focused on the heart health of mice exposed to polystyrene microplastics. The goal was to see if resveratrol, a compound found in red wine and grapes, could offe...

Iowa is a major player in the agriculture industry. More than 85% of the state is dedicated to farming. This makes it a prime spot to study how farming affects local waterways. A recent study looked at small, shallow streams across the state. It focused on pollutants that are becoming a global issue. These include microplastics, PFAS, antibiotic resistance genes, and...

Plastics have become a part of everyday life. They are in our homes, our cars, and even our food. But what happens when these tiny plastic pieces, known as microplastics, make their way into a pregnant woman's body? This is not a hypothetical question. It is a real concern that has been studied in China. In a recent study, researchers looked at the placentas of 1, 0...

The ocean's carbon cycle could be greatly affected by nano and microplastics. These tiny plastic particles are everywhere in the marine environment. Copepods are tiny ocean creatures that play a big role in moving carbon from the surface to the deep ocean. They do this by producing fecal pellets that sink to the bottom. These pellets are like little packa...

Microplastics are everywhere. They are tiny pieces of plastic that are less than 5 millimeters in size. These tiny plastics are a big problem. They can be found in our oceans, rivers, and even in the air we breathe. But did you know that they can also help bacteria become superbugs? This is bad news because superbugs are resistant to antibiotics. This means that when...

Microplastics, tiny particles smaller than 1 mm, are everywhere. They come from factories making plastic and from bigger plastic waste breaking down over time. These tiny bits of plastic behave differently in the environment because of their small size and unique surface chemistry. Think of it like how a tiny droplet of water behaves differently than a big wave. The ...

Marmara is what we call the sea that connects Europe and Asia. It has become really polluted with plastics, specifically tiny pieces known as microplastics. Microplastics are a growing concern for marine life. Researchers have delved into this dirty issue, analyzing the pollution in the Gulf of Bandarma, which is part of Marmara. Marine life, such as mussels, oysters...