‘Lost’ 99% of ocean microplastics to be identified with dye?

New research has established a pioneering way to detect the smaller fraction of microplastics – many as small as 20 micrometres (comparable to the width of a human hair or wool fibre) - using a fluorescent dye. When testing their method, the researchers detected a much larger amount of small microplastics (smaller than 1 mm) than was previously estimated.
Interestingly, the researchers also discovered that the greatest abundance of microplastics of this small size was polypropylene, a common polymer which is used in packaging and food containers. An article about the research is published in Environmental Science & Technology (Press Release University of Warwick, 23 November 2017).
Click here for the press release.
Click here for the an abstract of the published article.
Click here for more information about the NVC Project PUMA: the end of packaging as an environmental issue. You are welcome to join us for the next project meeting on 4 April 2018.

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