microfibers – envirobites

Tuesday, September 17, 2024

Microfiber, major problem

September 13, 2022September 13, 2022 Sam Schurkamp 0 Comments microfibers, microplastics, plastic pollution, Pollution

Microfibers are getting into our lakes and oceans. With the help of new technology and a little community effort, we may be able to stop them.

Ecosystems Environmental Science

Microplastics In Our Fish: How Fish Food Is Affecting Our Food Supply and Our Health

July 1, 2022January 4, 2023 Andrea Valcarcel 0 Comments fisheries, food safety, health impacts, human health, microfibers, Microplastic, microplastics, public health, wildlife health

Microplastics are small plastic particles ranging in size from 1μm (the size of a human hair) to 5mm (the size of a pencil-top eraser) that don’t dissolve in water and are usually fragmented from larger pieces of plastics. That sounds like something that should never end up on our plates, right? Well, researchers have found that these small plastics have, unfortunately, found their way into our food chain.

An image of a small glass dish held between a person's thumb and index finger, containing various small plastic debris collected from house dust.

Ecosystems Environmental Science Human Exposure and Public Health Toxicology

Here, There, and Everywhere: the Plastic Particles Around Us All

April 2, 2022April 2, 2022 Cypress Novick 0 Comments environmental health, health impacts, microfibers, Microplastic, Pollution, public health, wildlife health

Source: Yujia Xiang, Li Jiang, Yaoyu Zhou, Zirui Luo, Dan Zhi, Jian Yang, Su Shiung Lam, Microplastics and environmental pollutants:

Ecosystems Environmental Science

How Microplastics Impact Life at the Bottom

June 18, 2020June 18, 2020 Mary Davis 0 Comments food webs, microfibers, microplastics, oceans

Microplastics are prevalent in the news and in the oceans. Find out what effect they have on organisms at the bottom of the oceans… and the bottom of the food chain.

Environmental Science

Surviving in the age of microplastics: the tale of a curious shrimp

September 13, 2019September 13, 2019 Lindsay Green-Gavrielidis 0 Comments crustaceans, evolution, microfibers, microplastics, Pollution

Each year, a tremendous amount of plastic waste enters the marine environment. As plastic ages, it breaks down in to smaller and smaller pieces, called microplastics, but never degrades. These tiny plastic fibers are eaten by numerous organisms and can cause organ damage or even death. But one species is able to rid its stomach of accidentally ingested microplastics. This is the tale of the Atlantic ditch shrimp and how it will survive in the age of microplastics.

Environmental Science

The Fabric Cycle: Generating Microplastics from our Laundry

July 9, 2019July 12, 2019 Mary Davis 0 Comments laundry, microfibers, microplastics, oceanplastics, plasticpollution, whatsinmywash

Tons of microplastics are entering the oceans each year in the form of microfibers from laundering textiles. Recent research shows fabric type and washing settings can influence the amount of microfibers released into the environment from your home laundry. Read more to find out how you can reduce your footprint.