Everyday Plastic Products Release Trillions of Microscopic Particles Into Water
Published:21 Apr.2022 Source:National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST)
Now, researchers at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) have analyzed a couple of widely used consumer products to better understand these microscopic plastics. They found that when the plastic products are exposed to hot water, they release trillions of nanoparticles per liter into the water. The NIST researchers published their findings in the scientific journal Environmental Science and Technology.
"The main takeaway here is that there are plastic particles wherever we look. There are a lot of them. Trillions per liter. We don't know if those have bad health effects on people or animals. We just have a high confidence that they're there," said NIST chemist Christopher Zangmeister. There are many different types of plastic materials, but they are all made up of polymers, natural or human-made substances composed of large molecules linked together. Scientists have found microscopic particles from these larger plastics in the oceans and many other environments. Researchers categorize them into two groups: micro- and nanoplastics.