microplastics tagged posts

Microplastics could be fueling neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s, with a new study highlighting five ways microplastics can trigger inflammation and damage in the brain.

More than 57 million people live with dementia, and cases of Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s are projected to rise sharply. The possibility that microplastics could aggravate or accelerate these brain diseases is a major public health concern.

Pharmaceutical scientist Associate Professor Kamal Dua, from the University of Technology Sydney, said it is estimated that adults are consuming 250 grams of microplastics every year—enough to cover a...

Microplastics have found their way deep inside our bones, brains, and even babies. A UK study found that 100% of all 155 hot and cold beverage samples tested contained synthetic plastic particles.

The researchers tested different products from popular UK brands, including coffee, tea, juices, energy drinks, soft drinks, and even tap and bottled water, and not a single beverage was free of microplastics (MPs). Surprisingly, the more expensive tea bag brand showed a higher concentration of MPs, compared to the cheaper ones.

Traces of plastics, including polypropylene, polystyrene, polyethylene terephthalate, and polyethylene—commonly used for food packaging and disposable containers—were ...

Research led by Zhejiang Agriculture and Forestry University in China has performed a metadata investigation into the presence of microplastics in humans. They report a concerning relationship between micro and nanoplastic (MNP) concentrations in damaged tissues and links with multiple health conditions.

Plastic usage soared from 1.5 million metric tons in the 1950s to nearly 390.7 million in 2021. With the increased use in consumer products came elevated microscopic plastic pollution circulating in soil and waterways, eventually accumulating in the environment, food webs and human tissues.

Consistent methods to pinpoint and quantify MNPs in human tissues are lacking...

Plastic pollution is everywhere, and a good amount of it is composed of polyethylene terephthalate (PET). This polymer is used to make bottles, containers and even clothing. Now, researchers report in Environmental Science & Technology that they have discovered an enzyme that breaks apart PET in a rather unusual place: microbes living in sewage sludge. The enzyme could be used by wastewater treatment plants to break apart microplastic particles and upcycle plastic waste.

Microplastics are becoming increasingly prevalent in places ranging from remote oceans to inside bodies, so it shouldn’t be a surprise that they appear in wastewater as well.

However, the particles are so tiny th...