We can't find the internet
Attempting to reconnect
Something went wrong!
Hang in there while we get back on track
Plastic and plants
AI summary Read the abstract
Researchers identified a mechanism by which nanoplastics can physically enter plant roots, raising concerns that plastic particles from polluted soil could travel up through crops and onto our plates — a potential new route of human exposure to plastic contamination.
Reports on the widespread presence of plastic particles in the environment have raised concerns about whether these particles could be taken up by plants and end up on our plates. An experimental study now reveals a mechanism through which nanoplastics can make their way into plant roots.
More Papers Like This
Enter plastic.
AI summary Read the abstract
Two studies provided direct evidence that sub-micrometre plastic particles accumulate in terrestrial plants, demonstrating that plastic contamination extends into the food chain through crop uptake. This finding raises important questions about human dietary exposure to micro- and nanoplastics via commonly consumed plant foods.
Microplastics
AI summary Read the abstract
This entry defines microplastics as small plastic pollutants encompassing any type of plastic fragment, establishing the foundational terminology for the field rather than presenting original research findings. The definition is significant because it captures the category-level nature of microplastic pollution — spanning all polymer types and size ranges — underscoring that solutions must be equally broad-spectrum to address the full scope of environmental and health impacts.
Microplastics
AI summary Read the abstract
Tiny plastic bits called microplastics are washing into our rivers and oceans from everyday sources like packaging waste, factory runoff, and city drainage systems. This review paper pulls together existing research on the health risks these particles pose and explores methods scientists are testing to filter them out of wastewater before they spread further. As microplastics increasingly turn up in our water and food supply, understanding how to remove them matters for protecting long-term public health.
Microplastics
AI summary Read the abstract
This overview covers what microplastics are, why their small size makes them difficult to track, and how they mix with organic matter and enter food chains — providing a foundational summary of the scope and nature of the global microplastics problem.
Microplastics
AI summary Read the abstract
This review paper looks at how scientists detect and identify microplastics (tiny plastic pieces smaller than 5mm) in water, soil, and living organisms, breaking down the tools and techniques researchers use to spot them and figure out what they're made of. While this study doesn't test health effects directly, better detection methods are the first step toward understanding how much plastic pollution surrounds us and, eventually, how it might affect our bodies when we eat, drink, or breathe it in.
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.