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Navigating Europe’s restriction on microplastics

Envirotec Magazine

Legislators in Europe seem to be keeping a closer eye on microplastics, with the introduction of European Union (EU) Regulation 2023/2055 in September being a recent milestone. While microplastics are useful, scientists, governments and consumers now recognize them as a major threat to the environment.

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Brazilian group presents novel method of analyzing microplastic pollution

Envirotec Magazine

The last decade has seen some progress with studying plastic pollution, but there are still significant challenges, such as a lack of comparability of reported results, especially when it comes to microplastic particles. River landscape in Pantanal, Brazil. We measure particle size in all samples.

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Microplastics are in human testicles. It’s still not clear how they got there.

Grist

No human organ is safe from microplastic contamination, it seems — not even the testicles. Researchers at the University of Mexico recently tested 70 samples of testicular tissue — 47 from dogs and 23 from humans — and found microplastics in every single one. So how do the microplastics get into people’s bodies?

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Report pulls back the curtain on chemical pollution in the ocean

Envirotec Magazine

Marine pollution has deservedly gained greater attention in recent years, most notably through the vexing—and highly visible—issue of plastics. Synthetic chemicals, many hazardous and harmful, are now ubiquitous across the seas—much like plastics—and left untackled, this assault will only get worse.

Pollution 162
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Against the grain

Envirotec Magazine

Microplastics are everywhere: We know that much. Even the definition of “microplastics” is slippery. But tiny plastic fragments follow a multitude of pathways into the enviroment. And not all rivers carry the same load of microplastics. But should we be worried? What can we do about it? What do we know?

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Plastic chemicals are inescapable — and they’re messing with our hormones

Grist

If you were to create a recipe for plastics, you’d need a very big cookbook. Scientists know, for example, that at least 3,200 plastic chemicals pose risks to human health or the environment. These chemicals, released at every stage of the plastic life cycle , mimic hormones and interfere with the metabolic and reproductive systems.

Plastics 130
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Apple waste, spider silk, enhanced cotton: How bio-based textiles could replace plastic in our clothing

Grist

The spotlight If you’ve read any climate-related news in the past several years, you’re probably familiar with the scourge of microplastics. These tiny bits of plastic end up clogging oceans. The bits of plastic shed from synthetic textiles have their own term: microfibers.