Sentences with phrase «of microplastics»

Experts are concerned that the concentration of microplastics in the Arctic Ocean poses near - permanent contamination.

On 7 December, Uppsala University in Sweden released a long - awaited report by its Board for Investigation of Misconduct in Research, which investigated a high - profile paper about the effects of microplastics on fish, published in Science in June 2016.

The feeding behaviour of these creatures, known as larvaceans, may transport vast amounts of microplastics from the upper layers of the ocean down into the depths.

«We have very little knowledge on the effect of microplastics on soil organisms, and their impact on farm productivity and food safety is unknown.»

The sea salts contained the highest concentrations of microplastics from 550 to 681 particles per kilogram.

There's an estimated 5 trillion pieces of microplastic in the world's oceans, and every minute another garbage truck full of trash is dumped or runs off into the ocean.

Researchers from the Leibniz - Institute of Freshwater Ecology and Inland Fisheries (IGB) and their Berlin colleagues warn: the impact of microplastics in soils, sediments and the freshwaters could have a long - term negative effect on terrestrial ecosystems throughout the world.

Last year, scientists at Belgium's Ghent University released a sobering study revealing that shellfish lovers may be ingesting up to 11,000 particles of microplastics along with their favorite meals each year.

The highest levels of microplastic contamination were found in the United States, where 94 percent of the samples were contaminated.

While the impact of microplastic contamination is unclear, it's yet another sign of how far our pollution of the planet is going.

But it turns out that compost collected from homes and grocery stores is a previously unknown source of microplastic pollution, a new study April 4 in Science Advances reports.

In order to measure the presence of microplastics, zooplankton samples were collected and placed in glass - coated polypropylene well plates and immersed in nitric acid.

«To our knowledge there are no documented reports of the direct effects of microplastic ingestion on wild organisms.

Marcario asks about microfibers, which come from recycled poly, and how they fit into the larger problem of microplastics, particularly the small beads in soaps.

Application of sewage sludge to soils likely represent a considerable source of microplastics to the coastal and ocean environments.

Sewage sludge is then often applied to fields as fertilizer, meaning that several thousand tons of microplastics end up in our soils each year.

«High levels of microplastics found in Northwest Atlantic fish: New study finds microplastics in the stomachs of 73 percent of mesopelagic fish caught in the Northwest Atlantic — one of the highest levels globally.»

Researchers found a wide array of microplastics in fish stomachs — with a whopping 73 % of the fish having ingested the pollutants.

«The great spatial heterogeneity of microplastics at large and mesoscales makes it difficult to extrapolate local monitoring data to larger areas,» Nerland explains.

The consequences of transfers of microplastics from urban waste water to agricultural soil have barely been considered by researchers and authorities, particularly in lieu of the extended attention directed at microplastics in the ocean.

Recently, the team reported on the ubiquity of microplastics — tiny fragments of plastic and fibres — in the deep sea.

Nizzetto et al (2016): «A theoretical assessment of microplastic transport in river catchments and their retention by soils and river sediments» in Environ.

These figures are of concern since the effects of microplastics accumulating in agricultural soils are unknown.

They also found that fish that consume large quantities of microplastics are «smaller, slower, and more stupid» (and die at twice the rate of the others when exposed to predators) than ones living in clean water and, therefore, on healthier diets.

February 8 Maritime History of the Channel Islands Told Through Shipwreck Bert Ho and Carol Linteau March 8 White Shark Nurseries in the Southern California Bight Chris Lowe April 12 Island Scrub Jay Connection to Native Oak Populations Mario Pesendorfer September 13 Impacts of Microplastic Debris on Coastal Ecosystems Clare Steele October 11 Island of the Blue Dolphins: The Lone Woman at the Crossroads Susan Morris November 8 Sea Cow Discovery on Santa Rosa Island John Hoffman

By comparing the amount of microplastics with historical measurements of the GPGP, the team found that plastic pollution levels within the GPGP have been growing exponentially since measurements began in the 1970s.

Barry is also on board with moves to avoid the use of microplastics in things like toothpaste and cosmetic products.

Sewage, for example, is an important factor in the distribution of microplastics.

Despite their important role in marine ecosystems, mesopelagic fish have been relatively understudied in the context of microplastics.

A new study sheds light on the magnitude of microplastic pollution in our oceans.

«The high ingestion rate of microplastics by mesopelagic fish that we observed has important consequences for the health of marine ecosystems and biogeochemical cycling in general.»

«We recorded one of the highest frequencies of microplastics among fish species globally,» says Wieczorek.

For the first time, environmental scientists from the University of Basel have now reported the abundance and composition of microplastics at the surface of the Rhine between Basel and Rotterdam.

The scientists concentrated on the detection of microplastics found in large numbers in production worldwide and of low specific density, such as polyethylene, polypropylene and polystyrene.

«Any potential [spike] would have both the radionuclide record as well as the SCP one — as well as a few invasive species, bits of microplastic and stable carbon isotopes,» explains geologist Jan Zalasiewicz of the University of Leicester in England and chairman of the working group that is evaluating whether or not to add the Anthropocene to the geologic timescale.

Organic fertilizer as a vehicle for the entry of microplastic into the environment.

A variety of microplastics collected from composted waste in Germany included polyethylene spheres (A), which are used in paints and coatings; PVC fragments (B), used widely in construction materials, electronics and vehicles; bits of polyethylene (C and D), which is found in bags, containers and bottles; polyester fibers (E); and polypropylene (F), used in bags, packaging and textiles.

They believe the results are an example of marine wildlife actually contributing to the spread of microplastics within the marine environment, rather than them simply being emitted from the water supply or forming through the physical and chemical break down of larger items.

The lifespan of microplastics is unknown so it can take years for it to completely leave the ocean or lake, if it ever does.

When comparing between four size classes, two microplastic < 4.75 mm and meso - and macroplastic > 4.75 mm, a tremendous loss of microplastics is observed from the sea surface compared to expected rates of fragmentation, suggesting there are mechanisms at play that remove < 4.75 mm plastic particles from the ocean surface.

Long - term monitoring is required to keep track of the load of microplastics in the marine environment, but these data are scarce.

The alarming omnipresence of microplastics in rivers, lakes, and oceans increasingly gains the critical focus of research.

Due to a lack of empirical data on microplastics emissions and concentrations in soils and the stream system, this study was conceived to provide a purely theoretical, nevertheless rigorous, assessment of microplastics circulation.

In an earlier study from the same authors, and researchers of Oxford University, the first mathematical model describing the dynamics of microplastics» fate in terrestrial environments and rivers are described.

The model is called INCA Microplastics, and simulations have showed a strong influence of meteorological conditions and river characteristics and flows in controlling the export of microplastics from agricultural soils and their transport to the ocean.

Waste water treatment plants receive large amounts of microplastics emitted from households, industry and surface run - off in urban areas.

This is more than the estimated total burden of microplastics currently present in ocean water.»

Most of these microplastics accumulate in the sewage sludge.

Researchers are concerned about the lack of knowledge regarding potential consequences of microplastics in agricultural landscapes.