GNV News, September 25, 2024

According to a paper published in Science on September 19, 2024, annual releases of microplastics into the environment are estimated at up to 40 megatons, and that amount could double by 2040.

Microplastics have spread from the oceans to freshwater and even the air, affecting ecosystems and food webs and posing risks to wildlife and human health. Since the term “microplastics” was first used in a Science paper published in 2004, they have been found everywhere on Earth—in more than 1,300 species of aquatic and terrestrial organisms, in foods and beverages, and in multiple tissues and organs of the human body, including the brain—according to a study. In addition, microplastics are persistent pollutants, and once they enter the environment they are difficult to remove.

Learn more about where plastic waste goes → “The Fate of Plastic“

Learn more about reporting on the plastics issue → “The plastics problem: What does reporting reveal?“

Microplastics (Photo: Oregon State University / Wikimedia [CC BY-SA 2.0])