microplasticslatest news & developments
Former forestry, fisheries and the environment minister Dion George. (@DrDionGeorge/X)

Plastic pollution is a public health emergency, says Dion George

The environment minister said the failure to achieve a global plastics treaty could have been avoided

  • Sheree Bega
5 min read
Canisters and bottles collected for the study at a remote stretch of beach in De Hoop Nature Reserve. (Peter Ryan)

New study finds brightly coloured plastics may contribute more to microplastic pollution

Red, blue and green plastics degrade to form microplastics quicker than those that aren’t as bright

  • Sheree Bega
6 min read
Antartica’s redesigned flag aims to focus attention on the microplastic crisis affecting the remote, pristine region

New ‘microplastic’ flag for Antarctica

The redesigned flag aims to focus attention on the microplastic crisis affecting the remote region

  • Sheree Bega
3 min read
An international team of researchers has developed a breakthrough microscopic technique that can detect minute particles of plastic in bottled water that can pass into human blood, cells and the placenta. (Photo by Hendrik Schmidt/picture alliance via Getty Images)

Bottled water in US found to contain miniscule pieces of plastic

Nanoplastics are the ‘spawn of microplastics that have broken down even further’, researchers said

  • Sheree Bega
5 min read