Scientists find highest ever level of microplastics on seafloor
An international research project has revealed the highest levels of microplastic ever recorded on the seafloor, with up to 1.9 million pieces in a thin layer covering just 1 square meter. The hotspots appear to be the deep-sea equivalents of the so-called ‘garbage patches’ formed by currents on the ocean surface.
Microplastics found in Antarctic ice cores
A team of researchers from the University of Tasmania has found evidence of microplastics in ice cores collected off the coast of Antarctica. They also note that prior studies have shown that microplastics in ice can lead to melting due to heat absorption.
Plastic Waste During The Time Of COVID-19
Concern about safety and cross-contamination has caused statewide repeals of single-use plastic bans and this has translated into a heightened demand for bottled water, PPE, plastic bags and packaging. But results of an experiment recently published in The New England Journal of Medicine indicate that the coronavirus might actually persist longer on plastics than on other materials.
For decades, scientists puzzled over the plastic ‘missing’ from our oceans – but now it’s been found
Of all the plastic that enters Earth’s oceans each year, just 1% has been observed floating on the surface. So where is the rest of it?