The abstract of a June 30, 2022, Polymers article https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4360/14/13/2700 by Italian researchers with Università Campus Bio Medico di Roma and others, reports that “… the potential health impairment caused by the internalisation and accumulation of microplastics (MPs) is of prime concern … In this pilot single-centre observational prospective study, human breastmilk samples collected from […]
Category: News
Nano Plastics – Effects of Polystyrene Nanoplastics on Aquatic Snails Studied
The abstract of a July 12, 2022, Environmental Science: Nano article by researchers with the Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science and Technology (Eawag) and ETH Zurich https://pubs.rsc.org/en/content/articlelanding/2022/en/d2en00101b notes that “… Fundamental knowledge gaps on the bioaccumulation, trophic transfer and effects of nanoplastics in fresh waters limit the estimation of their ecological risks … we […]
ADFPI News – July 19, 2022 – Following are web links to three of the many news stories that, beginning July 1, we have not had time to properly summarize for you – They address India, Greenwashing and Circular Plastics Economy.
India – A July 1 Reuters story reports that India has banned some single use plastics https://www.cnn.com/2022/07/01/india/india-bans-single-use-plastic-intl-hnk/index.html Greenwashing – On July 1, 2022, Reed Smith advised that regulators are stepping up scrutiny on greenwashing https://viewpoints.reedsmith.com/post/102hrgt/regulators-step-up-scrutiny-on-greenwashing#page=1 Circular Plastics Economy – A June 27, 2022 United Nations Environment Programme news release advises that during a UN Ocean […]
Microplastic Fibers Detected in Cirrhotic Liver but not in Liver with No Liver Disease
A July 11, 2022 Lancet article https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ebiom.2022.104147 by researchers with Germany University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf and Germany University of Hamburg addresses “… whether microplastics (MPs) accumulate in peripheral organs, specifically in the liver, and if liver cirrhosis favours this process … Considering the limit of detection, all liver, kidney and spleen samples from patients without […]
Plastic Waste – California Enacts Legislation Voiding November Ballot Measure
A June 30, 2022 Los Angeles Times story https://www.latimes.com/environment/story/2022-06-30/california-new-law-phase-out-single-use-plastics-containers reports that on June 30, 2022, the Governor of California signed into law https://www.gov.ca.gov/2022/06/30/governor-newsom-signs-legislation-cutting-harmful-plastic-pollution-to-protect-communities-oceans-and-animals/ “SB-54 Solid waste: reporting, packaging, and plastic food service ware” https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billTextClient.xhtml?bill_id=202120220SB54 which requires “… all packaging in the state to be recyclable or compostable by 2032, cutting plastic packaging by 25 percent […]
Microplastics – Colonization by Human Microbial Pathogens Quantified
The abstract of a September 1, 2022 Environmental Pollution article https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envpol.2022.119594 by researchers with UK University of Stirling and Germany Brandenburg Medical School Theodor Fontane reports that “… Microplastics in wastewater and surface water rapidly become colonised by microbial biofilm … Here, we have used rotavirus (RV) SA11 (a non-enveloped enteric virus) and the enveloped […]
Microplastics – Effects on Lentil Seed Germination and Seedling Growth Reported
The abstract of a September 2022 Chemosphere article https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chemosphere.2022.135162 by researchers with Japan Saitama University, Sri Lanka University of Ruhuna, and Japan Shibaura Institute of Technology reports that “… Widespread use of plastics and mishandling has resulted in severe environmental issues affecting seed germination and seedling growth. This study investigates the effect of polyethylene microplastics … on […]
Plastic Waste – USAID Launches “Save Our Seas Initiative”
In a June 22, 2022 news release https://www.usaid.gov/news-information/press-releases/jun-22-2022-usaid-announces-save-our-seas-initiative the US Agency for International Development (USAID) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_Agency_for_International_Development launched a “… new flagship initiative to combat ocean plastic pollution globally—the Save Our Seas Initiative. The initiative will include $62.5 million in initial funding and will launch 14 new country and regional programs in key countries and regions […]
Plastic Waste/Microplastics/Food Waste/Recycling – EPA Seeks Research Grant Funding Proposals from Small Businesses
A June 15, 2022, update to the EPA Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Program Funding site https://www.epa.gov/sbir/sbir-funding-opportunities advises that grant funding applications from small businesses are sought in several topics areas, including: “… Clean Technologies to process, sort and identify microplastics; In-stream aquatic trash capture technologies … Innovative technologies that help consumers prevent food waste […]
Microplastics – Presence in Digestive System of Migratory Birds Reported
The abstract of a September 10, 2022 Science of The Total Environment article https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.155827 by researchers with Loyola University Chicago “… examines the abundance and types of microplastic (MP) content in the digestive system of different bird species … The lower GI tracts of six bird species (Tree Swallow (Tachycineta bicolor), Ovenbird (Seiurus aurocapilla), Dark-eyed Junco (Junco hyemalis), […]