Microplastic

A recent study results suggests that chewing gum may release hundreds to thousands of microplastics into saliva, which could then be swallowed. While more research is needed, these findings highlight yet another hidden source of plastic exposure in daily life. Here’s what you need to know.

FSSAI launches project to assess prevalence of microplastics in Indian food products

Iodised salt had the highest concentration of microplastics (89.15 pieces per kilogramme) while organic rock salt had the lowest (6.70 pieces per kilogramme), according to the study

1-litre bottles of packaged water have 2,40,000 pieces of tiny plastics, finds study

The researchers found 1-3.4 lakh plastic particles in each litre of bottled water, according to the study, and about 90 percent of them were nanoplastics, while the rest were microplastics.

Unpacking the presence of microplastics in the Bay of Bengal

The microplastics in the Bay of Bengal likely stem from the breakdown of mismanaged waste – improper disposal of plastic packaging and abandoned fishing gears – in the sampled sites.

Microplastics found in fish from Uttarakhand's Alaknanda river

These plastic particles are harmful to the fish and those who eat them.

NGT directs study to reduce menace of micro plastic in environment

A bench headed by NGT Chairperson Justice A K Goel said violation of environmental norms in the handling of plastics is resulting in serious adverse health effects on human beings.

Scientists track ocean microplastics using data from NASA’s cyclone navigation satellite system

Based on the assumption that the presence of microplastics can dictate the roughness of ocean current, the scientists studied CYGNSS data to look for places where the ocean was unusually smooth vis-à-vis the wind speed.