Microplastics – Detection Methods and Environmental Health Effects Explored

On January 27 and 28, 2020, the National Academies of Science, Engineering and Medicine (NAS) held a workshop that brought “… together the environmental science and health communities to explore how emerging technologies and research strategies could help address important environmental health questions about microplastics … Despite the widespread prevalence of microplastics, little is known about the effects they may have on living things …” http://nas-sites.org/emergingscience/environmental-health-effects-of-microplastics/ - Participants explored methods to detect and quantify microplastics in food and the environment, delved into research on the effects of microplastics on the health of humans and wildlife, and discussed ways to reduce microplastics in the environment. The workshop ended with a session on how these new approaches may be leveraged to inform public health and policy questions – A webcast of the proceedings will be available soon at http://nas-sites.org/emergingscience/ #Microplastics #PlasticPackaging #FoodPackaging #PlasticWaste