Tiny Plastic Is Everywhere

-Source-NPR- Plastic trash is littering the land and fouling rivers and oceans. But what we can see is only a small fraction of whats out there. Since modern plastic was first mass-produced 8 billion tons have been manufactured. And when its thrown away it doesnt just disappear. Much of it crumbles into small pieces. Scientists call the tiny pieces microplastics and define them as objects smaller than 5 millimeters about the size of one of the letters on a computer keyboard. Researchers started to pay serious attention to microplastics in the environment about 15 years ago. Theyre in oceans rivers and lakes. Theyre also in soil. Recent research in Germany found that fertilizer made from composted household waste contains microplastics. Were Drowning In Plastic Trash. Jenna Jambeck Wants To Save Us ENVIRONMENT Were Drowning In Plastic Trash. Jenna Jambeck Wants To Save Us And even more concerning microplastics are in drinking water. In beer. In sea salt. In fish and shellfish. How microplastics get into animals is something of a mystery and Chelsea Rochman is trying to solve it. Rochman is an ecologist at the University of Toronto. She studies how plastic works its way into the food chain from tiny plankton to fish larvae to fish including fish we eat. Read More