Microplastics News and Research

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New portal ‘EU and My Food’ focuses on food safety measures in the EU

As the EFSA Focal Point in Germany, the German Federal Institute for Risk Assessment is also represented in the campaign with publications on the latest challenges, such as antimicrobial resistance and microplastics in food.

13 May 2019

Researchers study if microplastics can cause harm to people

About 8 million metric tons of plastic waste winds up in the oceans every year -- bottles, bags and doo-dads that eventually break down into tiny pieces, called microplastics.

7 Feb 2019

New study reports presence of microplastics in common groundwater source

Microplastics contaminate the world's surface waters, yet scientists have only just begun to explore their presence in groundwater systems.

28 Jan 2019

TUM researcher shares her latest findings about microplastic

After early reports of microplastic pollution in our oceans and beaches sounded the alarm, the global scientific community intensified its focus into this area.

11 Jan 2019

Varying rules on disposal of organic household rubbish across Europe

If you walk into a council office or a recycling center in Germany today you might see a poster for the #wirfuerbio campaign, which states that no plastics including compostable plastics should be added to organic bins.

27 Dec 2018

Study: Plastic waste in the environment releases nano-sized particles

There is a considerable risk that plastic waste in the environment releases nano-sized particles known as nanoplastics, according to a new study from Lund University.

20 Dec 2018

Mussels take in microplastic pollution fibers and flush most of them out again

New research shows that mussels readily take in microplastic pollution fibers from the ocean but quickly flush most of them out again, according to a study by researchers from Bigelow Laboratory for Ocean Sciences.

5 Dec 2018

DFG is establishing 10 new Collaborative Research Centers to support top-level research in Germany

The Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG, German Research Foundation) is establishing ten new Collaborative Research Centers (CRCs) to further support top-level research in Germany.

30 Nov 2018

Exploring potential health risks of microplastic particles for humans

The Austrian Federal Environment Agency and the Medical University of Vienna have presented the first preliminary results of a pilot study on microplastics (microplastic particles) in humans.

1 Nov 2018

Microplastic identified in human waste for the first time

In a recent analysis of human stool samples, every single sample tested contained microplastic and up to nine different plastics were present.

24 Oct 2018

Plastics now commonly found in human stools

Nearly eight billion metric tons of plastic finds its way into the oceans each year. This huge amount of plastic either washes ashore or breaks down into tiny pieces that are less than 5 millimeters in diameter and are called microplastics.

22 Oct 2018

Environment impact of microplastics remains unclear

Scientists say there is not yet enough evidence to conclude that microplastics do or do not cause harm to the environment, following a review of more than 300 global studies.

17 Oct 2018

EC takes action to stop more plastics from ending up on beaches

Over four fifths of the litter on European beaches is plastic, and over 50% is made of single-use plastic, according to a new scientific report.

25 Sep 2018

New research illuminates another significant culprit of traffic-related air pollution

Everyone knows that cars contribute to air pollution. And when most people consider the source, exhaust is usually what comes to mind.

11 Sep 2018

Don't flush contact lenses after use - bad for environment

Nearly 45 million Americans use soft disposable contact lenses and after use flush them down the toilet. Researchers at the Arizona State University have requested people not to do so because the flushed out contact lenses could be having a severe impact on the environment.

20 Aug 2018