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Researchers including University of Bergen Ph.D. student Shea Cheatham report that the Great Pacific Garbage Patch appears to be changing the color of the surrounding ocean water. The team says microplastic accumulation is the likely cause but has not yet confirmed this directly, and plans a field expedition to the patch to verify the link.
Researchers at universities in Türkiye tested plastic tea bags and found that steeping one can release between 555 and 2,498 microplastic particles into the cup. The study indicates this contamination is accompanied by additional chemical or material effects beyond the particle count.
An investigation found that scientists working for chemical and plastics companies identified potential health risks from microplastics as early as the 1970s. The findings indicate this awareness predates public recognition of microplastics as a contaminant now found throughout human bodies and the environment.
CNET reports that heating food in cheap plastic or styrofoam takeout containers can release microplastics into food, with risk increasing at microwave temperatures. A chef cited in the report says most restaurants avoid microwave-safe containers because they cost more, and recommends glass, ceramic, porcelain, aluminum or paper-based alternatives instead.
The Los Angeles Times reports that internal memos from chemical companies, dating back decades, show industry scientists were aware that microplastic particles could migrate beyond the gut and deposit in organs. The concern reportedly traces to a 1974 presentation by a German gastroenterologist, which was largely ignored by government scientists but discussed with worry among company researchers.
New scientific findings indicate that tiny pollutant particles, including microplastics and airborne contaminants, can enter brain tissue. Researchers say this infiltration may be associated with neurological changes linked to Alzheimer's disease and other brain disorders.
Researchers from Columbia University, publishing in Nature, found that common consumer-grade microplastics are not chemically inert but instead generate reactive, high-energy radicals when exposed to water-rich environments like the human body. Study co-author Wei Min said this activity stems from the massive surface area created as plastic breaks into smaller fragments, and likely contributes to biological damage seen in animals and potentially humans.
Scientists report they have identified a mechanism explaining how microplastic particles trigger inflammatory responses in the body. The findings point to a specific biological pathway activated when these particles interact with human cells or tissue.
Researchers from Columbia University and UC Berkeley found that microplastics, unlike larger plastic objects, become chemically reactive when exposed to water, spontaneously generating reactive oxygen species such as hydroxyl radicals. The study, published in Nature, shows this reaction occurs under ordinary environmental conditions without sunlight or other degradation triggers, and is attributed to the much larger surface area of smaller particles.
New research indicates that microplastics are not chemically inert as once assumed, but may actively participate in chemical reactions inside the body. The researchers describe this as a 'possibly overlooked mechanism' by which microplastic particles could contribute to health problems.
A Nature study led by Columbia chemist Wei Min found that polystyrene microplastics are not chemically inert when placed in water, instead generating reactive oxygen species (ROS) at their water-contact surface. In lab tests, polystyrene powder stirred into a water-based dye solution broke down nearly 90 percent of the dye over 10 days, an effect that did not occur in non-water solvents like ethanol.
Researchers describe materials and methods used to study how microplastics such as polystyrene, polyethylene and PVC interact chemically with water at their surfaces. The methods include characterizing microplastic surface purity with X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and using fluorescent probes, dyes and labeled DNA to track reactive activity and molecule binding at plastic-water interfaces.