Plastic Pollution

Microplastic pollution is an emerging but underregulated threat to public health (1–3). Microplastics have the potential to harm human organs and biological systems (4 –6), yet no country has yet established standards to regulate their presence in drinking water. The US state of California has implemented standardized microplastic testing for…

It’s no secret that microplastics have already infiltrated our lives, and nowhere is this more present than in our own homes. Microplastics — and even tinier nanoplastics — stem from daily tasks like cooking and cleaning. Now, research is pointing to the previously unexplored impact of dishwashing on microplastic pollution.…

A coalition of leading European environmental groups has cautiously welcomed a “landmark” agreement by lawmakers in Brussels on new rules aimed at curbing a major source of microplastic pollution in the world’s oceans. The provisional deal, reached last week between the European Council and the European Parliament...Read More

In December 2024, the global community expected the parties at the fifth Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee (INC-5) meeting in Busan, South Korea, to produce a landmark treaty to address the planet’s plastic pollution crisis. The event was intended to be the final opportunity for more than 170 United Nations (UN) member…

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Éanna Ní Lamhna on the scarlet elf cup, plastic pollution and a Kiwi invader Scarlet elf cup. Photograph supplied by Daphne Cushnahan I saw these eye-catching little cups growing on the forest floor among the leaves and branches. I have walked this path many times but never saw them before.…

A study published in Scientific Reports in April 2025 has revealed alarming levels of microplastic pollution in Burullus Lake, the second-largest lake in Egypt, in Kafr el-Sheikh Governorate,  and one of its most ecologically and economically vital bodies of water.  The research, led by Egyptian scientists at the National Institute…

Over 200 young individuals, led by UNICEF, gathered today at Marina Beach in Cross River for a monumental cleanup initiative aimed at reducing plastic pollution in water bodies. This action forms part of the Green Rising Initiative, a youth-driven campaign to safeguard the environment and combat the growing threat of…

"Alarming" levels of microplastic have been found in major rivers across Europe according to scientists in 14 studies published simultaneously Monday. "Alarming" levels of microplastic have been found in major rivers across Europe according to scientists in 14 studies published simultaneously Monday. "The pollution is present in all European rivers"…

Microplastics are a growing ecological and human health crisis: Scientist have found the tiny plastic particles everywhere they’ve looked for them, including human placentas and brains. In a new documentary, Plastic People, filmmakers Rick Smith and Peter Raymont delve into the plastic pollution that contaminates people from before birth and…