Using surface-enhanced Raman scattering, researchers have revealed a new way of detecting and catching microplastics in our tap water, and the key is light.
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.