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Microplastic pollution is everywhere, even in the exhaled breath of dolphins – new research
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Researchers detected microplastics in the exhaled breath of wild dolphins, demonstrating that marine mammals are inhaling airborne plastic particles and providing new evidence of how pervasive microplastic pollution has become across ocean ecosystems.
8 million metric tons of plastic wind up in Earth’s oceans annually, where marine animals are exposed to this pollution and its potential health effects.
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Microplastics discovered in the body tissues of whales, dolphins and seals – sparking concerns for human health too
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Researchers found that relatively large microplastic particles can penetrate and accumulate in the body tissues of whales, dolphins, and seals, raising concerns about similar tissue-level accumulation pathways in humans who consume marine-origin food.
Far more microplastics floating in oceans than thought
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A new sampling method revealed that southern ocean microplastic concentrations are 37 times higher than previously estimated, suggesting that existing models have dramatically underestimated the scale of plastic pollution in Earth's most remote marine environments.
Microplastic Debris Poses a Serious Threat to the Health of Our Ecosystems and Their Inhabitants
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Researchers surveyed the global distribution and ecological threat of microplastics, finding these sub-5mm particles originating from cosmetics, textiles, and industry in even remote polar environments, with documented harms to diverse organisms across terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems.
Microplastic pollution is everywhere, but scientists are still learning how it harms wildlife
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A broad review of wildlife studies finds that microplastics frequently cause negative biological effects including reduced reproduction, altered feeding behavior, and physical damage, though results vary considerably across species and plastic types. The inconsistency highlights the need for standardized research methods to better understand which organisms and exposure levels pose the greatest ecological risk.
Study links microplastics with human health problems – but there’s still a lot we don’t know
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Researchers highlight a study linking microplastic exposure to human health problems, noting that plastics from everyday products like packaging, clothing, and toys shed particles that accumulate in the body, while emphasizing that significant scientific uncertainty remains about the nature and severity of health effects.
Research digests by email
When a large batch of papers lands in the Atlas, we read through it and send a short write-up of what stood out.