Microplastics, the tiny plastic fragments in the environment, have become pervasive, spreading through everything from our food and water to the air we breathe.
Plastic pollution has been an issue since the 1960s, but when mask-wearing, single-use plastics and hand sanitiser bottles became the norm, things only got worse.
Plastic bottles take up to 450 years to biodegrade naturally, so recycling them quickly is crucial for the environment - Northwestern University chemists may have a new strategy.
Tumble drying laundry can worsen air pollution, as it releases vast amounts of possibly harmful microfibres into the air, if not coupled with more eco-friendly methods.
Researchers looking at plastics’ connection with pregnancy and children's health, find that placenta can absorb nanoplastics during pregnancy, affecting babies when born.
Plastic has been found everywhere, from plastic pollution in the oceans, to microplastics in food – researchers have now located nanoplastic particles in the snow.
Research has identified how microplastics are being found in the Antarctic, by testing seawater samples they found that paint and varnish are the most prominent source of microplastics in the region's sea.
In a study conducted on babies in New York, scientists found that babies contain 10 times as many microplastics as adults - raising serious questions about how exposure happens.
Scientists tested makeup across the US and Canada for harmful chemicals - they found that over 75% of products tested contained PFAS, which are "forever chemicals".
