Biologists Raise Alarm: Brain Damage Caused by Even Small Amounts of Plasticizers
The plasticizers contained in many everyday objects can impair important brain functions in humans. Biologists from the University of Bayreuth warn of this danger in…
Plastic
Seabird Eggs Contaminated With Chemical Cocktail of Plastic Additives
Chemical additives used in plastic production have been found in herring gull eggs, new research shows. Phthalates are a group of chemicals added to plastics…
Bacteria-Sized Metallic Robots Take On Microplastics – And Win by Breaking Them Down
Small pieces of plastic are everywhere, stretching from urban environments to pristine wilderness. Left to their own devices, it can take hundreds of years for…
Science and Social Media Show How Ship’s Plastic Cargo Dispersed From Florida to Norway
A ship’s container lost overboard in the North Atlantic has resulted in printer cartridges washing up everywhere from the coast of Florida to northern Norway,…
Innovative New Technology Converts Waste Plastics to Jet Fuel – In Just an Hour
Washington State University researchers have developed an innovative way to convert plastics to ingredients for jet fuel and other valuable products, making it easier and…
Revolutionary Eco-Friendly Plastic: The Future Looks Bright for Infinitely Recyclable Plastic
A new environmental and technological analysis suggests that a revolutionary eco-friendly plastic is almost ready to hit the shelves. Plastics are a part of nearly…
Microplastics Found in Europe’s Largest Ice Cap – In a Remote and Pristine Area of Vatnajökull Glacier
In a recent article in Sustainability, scientists from Reykjavik University (RU), the University of Gothenburg, and the Icelandic Meteorological Office describe their finding of microplastic…
Plastic Pollution in the Deep Sea: A Geological Perspective on a Global Problem
A new focus article in the May issue of Geology summarizes research on plastic waste in marine and sedimentary environments. Authors I.A. Kane of the Univ. of…
Microbiologists Have Found a Way to Use Bacteria to Remove Microplastics From the Environment
Microbiologists have found a way to use bacteria to trap microplastics, removing them from the environment and making them easier to recycle. Today at the…
Making Cleaner, Greener, Biodegradable Plastics From Waste Fish Parts
Polyurethanes, a type of plastic, are nearly everywhere — in shoes, clothes, refrigerators, and construction materials. But these highly versatile materials can have a major…
Turning Wood Into Recyclable, Biodegradable Plastic
Plastics are one of the world’s largest polluters, taking hundreds of years to degrade in nature. A research team, led by YSE professor Yuan Yao…
Microplastics Turn Into “Hubs” for Antibiotic-Resistant Bacteria and Pathogens
It’s estimated that an average-sized wastewater treatment plant serving roughly 400,000 residents will discharge up to 2,000,000 microplastic particles into the environment each day. Yet,…
New Catalyst Makes Styrene Manufacturing Cheaper and Greener
Chemical engineering researchers have developed a new catalyst that significantly increases yield in styrene manufacturing, while simultaneously reducing energy use and greenhouse gas emissions….
Microbiologists Modify Bacteria to Produce Climate-Neutral and Rapidly Degradable Bioplastics
Cyanobacteria Could Revolutionize the Plastic Industry Microbiologists at the University of Tübingen modify bacteria to produce climate-neutral and rapidly degradable bioplastics. Cyanobacteria produce plastic naturally…
Discovery of a New Molecule Advances Route to Chemically Recyclable Plastics
New polybutadiene molecule enchains in squares, a microstructure that enables it to depolymerize under certain conditions, advancing options for closed-loop recycling. As the planet’s burden…
Laundry Lint Can Cause Significant Tissue and DNA Damage Within Marine Mussels
Microscopic fibers created during the laundry cycle can cause damage to the gills, liver, and DNA of marine species, according to new research. Scientists at…
Plastic Pollution Is Everywhere: Research Reveals How It Travels
Plastic pollution is ubiquitous today, with microplastic particles from disposable goods found in natural environments throughout the globe, including Antarctica. But how those particles move…
Bacterial Strain Uncovered for Producing Bioplastics From Sewage Sludge and Wastewater
Salt-Tolerant Bacteria With an Appetite for Sludge Make Biodegradable Plastics Using a bacterial strain found in mangroves, Texas A&M researchers have uncovered a low-cost, sustainable…