Tag: plastic
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PFAS are toxic ‘forever chemicals’ that linger in our air, water, soil and bodies – here’s how to keep them out of your drinking water
Exposure to PFAS during pregnancy can lead to a child’s low birth weight and accelerated puberty. RUNSMART/Digital Vision via Getty Images Close to half of America’s tap water contains PFAS, or perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances. These “forever chemicals” are in thousands of products, from clothing and cosmetics to cleaning products, and are linked to cancers, liver damage, high cholesterol…
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How to minimize your exposure to microplastics
Furniture, clothing and food packaging can all shed tiny particles that can end up in our bodies. (Ryan Jenq/The New York Times) Matthew Campen, a toxicologist at the University of New Mexico, wasn’t surprised when his team found microplastics in human testicles during a new study. The tiny particles had already been found in human…
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On Farms, ‘Plasticulture’ Persists
U.S. farms are covered in plastic, from the sides of greenhouses to plastic mulch, hoop houses, irrigation tubes, and more. As it degrades, plastic accumulates in soil and in plants, with potential threats to food safety. Photo: Rows of plastic-covered strawberry plants. In 1948, E.M. Emmert, a horticulturist at the University of Kentucky, was tinkering…
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Nanoplastics: Why you may be eating and drinking more microplastics than you thought
Watch the PBS news report here: www.pbs.org From takeout containers to water bottles, plastic seems unavoidable in our daily lives. Now, two new studies have found that we’re eating and drinking more plastic than we might have realized. George Leonard, a co-author of one of the studies and chief scientist at Ocean Conservancy, joins John…
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What is the great pacific garbage patch?
The Great Pacific Garbage Patch is the largest accumulation of ocean plastic in the world and is located between Hawaii and California. Scientists of The Ocean Cleanup have conducted the most extensive analysis ever of this area. The Great Pacific Garbage Patch (GPGP) is the largest of the five offshore plastic accumulation zones in the…
