Microfiber Forensics: How to Reduce Microfiber Loss From Washing Clothes
Almost 13,000 tonnes of microfibers, equivalent to two rubbish trucks every day, are being released into European marine environments every year. A new study has…
Plastic
Superworms Digest Plastic: Superpower Made Possible by Bacterial Sidekicks
Resembling giant mealworms, superworms (Zophobas atratus) are beetle larvae that are often sold in pet stores as feed for reptiles, fish and birds. In addition…
Ultrastable Catalyst Could Lead to More Efficient and Cheaper Production of Propylene From Propane
A group of Japanese scientists has developed an ultrastable, selective catalyst to dehydrogenate propane — an essential process to produce the key petrochemical substance of…
The Missing 99%? Highest Ever Level of Microplastics Found 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…
Common BPA Free Plastics Use Chemicals That May Lead to Increased Blood Pressure
Common bisphenol A (BPA) substitutes can affect the developing fetus and cause hypertension in later life, suggests a rodent study accepted for presentation at ENDO…
Microplastic Pollution May Be Generated Simply by Opening Plastic Bags and Bottles
Opening plastic packaging, such as plastic bags and bottles may contribute to the generation of small amounts of microplastics — small plastic particles less than…
Deadly Attraction: Why Sea Turtles Eat Ocean Plastics
One week is all it takes for a piece of plastic floating in the ocean to begin to smell like turtle food. New research from…
Scientists Warn That BPA-Free Plastic Products Could Be Just as Harmful to Human Health
University of Missouri scientists find BPA alternative, bisphenol S, could negatively affect both a mother’s placenta and potentially a developing baby’s brain. Using “BPA-free” plastic…
Microplastic Pollution Found in Deep Sediments on the Ocean Floor
Microplastic pollution in the world’s oceans is a growing problem, and most studies of the issue have focused on land-based sources, such as discarded plastic…
A Sustainable Alternative to Crude Oil: Bio-Based High-Performance Polyamide
The synthesis of bio-based high-performance polyamide from biogenic residues. A research team from the Fraunhofer Society and the Technical University of Munich (TUM) led by…
Bioplastic Generation Using Urban Biowaste
In a circular economy, city waste being turned into resources is of great importance, especially considering more than 70% of the inhabitants in Europe live…
Revealing the Structure of Bacterial Hitchhikers on Plastic Trash in the Ocean
Millions of tons of plastic trash are fouling the world’s ocean, most of it tiny pieces of microplastic less than a quarter-inch in size. Even…
Reducing, Reusing Europe’s 2.5 Million Tonnes of E-Waste Plastic Each Year
Consumers asked to favor electronic products containing recycled plastics; firms to build recycled plastic into design, ease plastic recovery for reuse. A European Commission-funded project…
The Coolest LEGO® in the Universe – Surprising Result of Fun Experiment Reveals a New Use for Toy
For the first time, LEGO® has been cooled to the lowest temperature possible in an experiment which reveals a new use for the popular toy….
Scientists Turn Plastic Waste Into Valuable Chemicals With Sunlight
Chemists at Nanyang Technological University, Singapore (NTU Singapore) have discovered a method that could turn plastic waste into valuable chemicals by using sunlight. In lab…
Turning Waste Plastic Into Filtration Membranes
Discarded PET bottles could find a new life in the chemical industry. In a world that seems to be drowning in plastic bottles, recycling this…
Larval Fish Nurseries Invaded by Prey-Size Plastics – Biodiversity and Fisheries Production Threatened
New research shows that many larval fish species from different ocean habitats are surrounded by and ingesting plastics in their preferred nursery habitat. Many of…
98% of Plastics Entering the Oceans Go Missing Each Year – Here’s the Likely Culprit
Trillions of plastic fragments are afloat at sea, which cause large “garbage patches” to form in rotating ocean currents called subtropical gyres. As a result,…