Study Finds Microplastics in Every Human Placenta

The scientists used a new analytical tool to measure microplastics present in human placentas, finding the tiny pollutants in all 62 of the placenta samples tested with concentrations ranging from 6.5 to 790 micrograms per gram of tissue.

One in 10 premature births linked to plastic chemicals

One in 10 premature births in the U.S. have been linked to pregnant women being exposed to chemicals in extremely common plastic products, a large study said.

Bottled water contains 100 times more plastic nanoparticles

The average litre of bottled water has nearly a quarter of a million pieces of microplastics and tiny, invisible nanoplastics, new research has found. 

Rise of microplastics discovered in placentas of Hawaiʻi mothers

The study examined placentas donated by women who delivered in Hawaiʻi from 2006 to 2021. The rise in microplastics found in the placentas of Hawaiʻi mothers corresponds with the skyrocketing levels of global plastic production.

Nanoplastics linked to Parkinson's disease and dementia

Nanoplastics that can leach into water and soil affect a specific protein found in the brain, causing changes linked to Parkinson’s disease and other types of dementia.

Public exposure to Bisphenol A exceeds acceptable health safety levels

Population exposure to the synthetic chemical Bisphenol A (BPA), which is used in everything from plastic and metal food containers to reusable water bottles and drinking water pipes in Europe is well above acceptable health safety levels.

Billions of nanoplastics are released when microwaving containers

Experiments have shown that microwaving plastic baby food containers can release huge numbers of plastic particles — in some cases, more than 2 billion nanoplastics and 4 million microplastics for every square centimeter of container.

'Unprecedented' Surge in Ocean Plastic Waste

Plastic pollution in the world's oceans has reached "unprecedented levels" over the past 15 years, a new study has found, calling for a legally binding international treaty to stop the harmful waste.

Exciting technology converts CO2 into ethylene

A company seeks to replace the non-renewable and pollutive process of creating ethylene with its new technology that uses carbon dioxide instead.

Engineers Create an Enzyme That Breaks Down Plastic Waste in Hours

A new study outlines the use of a specially created enzyme variant that vastly reduces the time it takes to break down the components of plastics.

US is worlds biggest plastic polluter

At 42m metric tons of plastic waste a year, the US generates more waste than all EU countries combined. Recycling infrastructure has failed to keep pace with the huge growth in American plastic production.

Cleanup device removes 20,000 pounds of ocean plastic

A new device successfully hauled 20,000 pounds of trash out of the Pacific Ocean last week. This technology could potentially help clean up the Great Pacific Garbage Patch.

Plastics pose threat to human health, report shows

A new report presents a summary of international research on the health impacts of endocrine-disrupting chemicals and describes the alarming health effects of widespread contamination from them in plastics.

Ecologists sound alarm on plastic pollution

Even if governments around the world meet their ambitious global commitments, worldwide annual emissions to rivers, lakes and oceans could be as much as 53 million metric tones by the year 2030.

Ocean Plastic Pollution Will Triple by 2040

Recent study revealed that ocean plastic pollution will triple by 2040 if nothing is done to stop it. That translates to a horrifying 50 kilograms of plastic per 1 meter of shoreline.