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How much Microplastic are you Drinking? New tool can tell you in Minutes

Micro- and nanoplastics fluorescing under the microscope.
Micro- and nanoplastics particles under the microscope. Photo credit: Peter Yang.

Low-cost, portable tool accurately measures plastic released from everyday sources like disposable cups and water bottles. Micro- and nanoplastics are in our food, water and the air we breathe. They are showing up in our bodies, from testicles to brain matter.

Now, University of British Columbia researchers have developed a low-cost, portable tool to accurately measure plastic released from everyday sources like disposable cups and water bottles.

The device, paired with an app, uses fluorescent labeling to detect plastic particles ranging from 50 nanometres to 10 microns in size — too small to be detected by the naked eye — and delivers results in minutes.

The method and findings are detailed in ...

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