Characterizing the heterogeneity of microplastics in products from the anaerobic digestion of wasted food

Summary

Scientists tested "digestate", the leftover material produced when food waste is broken down by bacteria to make fertilizer or energy, from three facilities in the U.S. and found it contained varying amounts of microplastics. Since this digestate is often used as fertilizer on farms, these plastic bits could end up in soil, crops, and potentially our food supply, though this study didn't directly test health effects. It's a reminder that even "eco-friendly" waste recycling systems may need better filtering to keep plastics out of the food chain.