Wearing polyester clothes: can microfibres escape into the air?
Can polyester clothes shed microfibres while you wear them? What volunteer and abrasion experiments show, and why fabric labels cannot predict your exposure.
Blog
Evidence-led articles about microplastics and everyday exposure.
Plastic recycling and microplastics: what happens during shredding and washing?
Can recycling generate microplastics? What shredding and wash-water studies show, how filtration helps, and what to ask a plastic recycler.
Face mask litter and microplastics: what happens when a mask reaches water?
How discarded face masks release microplastics into water, what two laboratory studies tested, and how to dispose of masks without compromising care.
Opening plastic packaging: can tearing a wrapper make microplastics?
Can opening a plastic wrapper create microplastics? What cutting and tearing experiments show, why counts are estimates, and sensible handling precautions.
Toothbrush microplastics: what bristle-wear experiments really show
Can toothbrush bristles shed microplastics? What two experiments measured, why counts differ, and how to care for your brush without compromising dental health.
Microplastics in glass bottles: why the cap matters
Glass drinks bottles can contain microplastics from cap coatings. What a French experiment shows, why its packaging comparison was challenged, and what to do.
Spray paint microplastics: what collects in soil beside a wall?
A Berlin graffiti-wall study found polymer-containing paint particles in nearby soil. What the sampling proves, what it misses, and how to contain paint waste.
Microplastics in honey: what scientists have actually confirmed
Studies have identified plastic polymers in honey, but not every counted fibre is plastic. How to read the evidence and judge particle-free claims.
Sea spray and microplastics: can the ocean send plastic back into the air?
Bursting bubbles can carry microplastics into sea spray. What lab tests, ocean air samples and newer global models do, and do not, establish.
Plastics and biological age: what can the research, and your test, actually tell you?
Can biological age tests reveal the effects of plastics? IntrinsicAge explains particle research, chemical exposure and the limits of personal test results.
Biodegradable glitter: is it safer for freshwater?
Is biodegradable glitter safer for freshwater? What plant experiments and a 96-day weathering study reveal about coatings, breakdown and cleanup.
Chewing gum and microplastics: does choosing natural gum help?
Does natural chewing gum avoid microplastics? What saliva studies found, why particle counts need care, and how to judge a plastic-free claim.
Wet wipes and microplastics: why plastic-free still does not mean flushable
Can wet wipes shed plastic fibres? Two original studies explain sheet composition, river breakdown and why plastic-free wipes still belong in the bin.
Fishing rope microplastics: can ropes shed before they are lost at sea?
Working ropes can release plastic through abrasion. What hauling experiments establish, why rope condition matters, and what boat owners can check.
Cigarette filter microplastics: why a discarded butt is plastic litter
Are cigarette filters plastic? What two fibre-release experiments show, why laboratory counts differ, and how to keep extinguished butts out of water.
Kitchen sponge microplastics: what wears away when you wash up?
Can washing-up sponges shed plastic? What household weighing and Raman studies show, why both layers matter, and how to balance material choice with hygiene.
Contact lenses and microplastics: keep used lenses out of the drain
Why used contact lenses belong out of drains, what sewage research shows about lens fragments, and how to check disposal without compromising eye care.
Dishwasher microplastics: what leaves the machine in drain water?
Can dishwashers and plastic containers shed particles? What drain-water studies establish, why counts differ and how to keep cleaning advice proportionate.
Plastic mulch and microplastics: what remains in farm soil?
Can plastic mulch leave fragments after removal? Two field studies explain soil residues, source attribution and practical recovery, without food-risk claims.
Tumble dryer microfibres: where do the fibres go after drying?
Do tumble dryers release microfibres? Follow the lint, exhaust and condenser-water evidence, with practical cleaning advice and clear limits on health claims.
Road marking microplastics: why worn white lines are hard to measure
Can worn road markings release microplastics? What glass-bead tests, Swedish estimates and a published disagreement mean for residents and road managers.
Does boiling water remove microplastics? Why hardness matters
Boiling can trap some microplastics in limescale, but water hardness and handling matter. What the experiment, published debate and later Perspective establish.
Baby bottles and microplastics: keep formula safety first
Baby-bottle particle counts changed after additive interference was investigated. What the studies mean, and why formula-preparation hygiene comes first.
Paper cups and microplastics: is your takeaway coffee cup plastic-free?
Paper coffee cups can have plastic linings. What three cup experiments measured, why particle counts differ, and a sensible approach to reusable mugs.
Microplastics in salt: is sea salt or Himalayan salt a better choice?
Do sea salt or Himalayan salt contain fewer microplastics? What two original studies establish, why counts differ, and how to choose salt without purity hype.
Scratched non-stick pans and microplastics: what should you do?
Can scratched non-stick pans shed microplastics? What a PTFE abrasion study measured, how BfR assesses health risk, and when to care for or replace a pan.
Plastic chopping boards and microplastics: should you switch to wood?
Can plastic chopping boards shed microplastics? What knife tests and animal studies establish, when to replace a worn board, and how to keep food safe.
Beach microplastic sampling: how to collect useful data, not just a jar of sand
A practical guide to repeatable beach sampling: record the area and size limits, control contamination, and keep laboratory chemistry out of home experiments.
Ship-hull paint and microplastics: what cleaning models and sediments show
Separate ship-cleaning emission models from measured sediment paint particles, and ask what a capture claim tested before trusting zero discharge.
Artificial-turf infill: how granules escape and what the EU rule changes
How infill leaves football pitches, what a Finnish field study actually measured, and why the EU 2031 market restriction is not immediate closure.
EU plastic pellet rules: what applies now and what starts later?
The EU pellet-loss law distinguishes duties already applying from its 2027 and maritime 2028 provisions. Check the role, scope and exact article.
Wastewater microplastic removal: less in the outlet is not destruction
How inlet and outlet sampling measures microplastic removal, why sludge matters, and which limits prevent a percentage from proving destruction.
Microplastics in compost: what soil-amendment tests establish
What Spanish compost and amended-soil tests found, the limits of eco-label comparisons, and which feedstock and testing questions growers should ask.
Microplastics in seafood: what an edible-tissue count actually means
What seafood studies sampled, how suspected fibres differ from confirmed plastic, and why edible-tissue counts cannot become universal dietary risk.
EU microplastics rules for cosmetics: which restrictions apply when?
Which cosmetic particles the EU restriction covers, the phased dates and exceptions, and why an ingredient name alone cannot establish compliance.
Biodegradable and compostable plastic: what the label does not promise
What biodegradable, bio-based and compostable labels mean, why outdoor breakdown differs, and how to match a product to an accepted disposal route.
Tyre wear in road runoff: what drainage studies can tell us
How UK highway sampling follows tyre wear in runoff, what ponds retain, and why chemical mass measurements are not a personal exposure count.
Do home water filters remove microplastics? How to judge the claim
What home filter studies show about microplastics, how to check particle-size and certification claims, and why maintenance matters more than a badge.
Plastic tea bags and microplastics: why the particle counts disagree
Do plastic tea bags shed billions of particles? The study, published challenge and response, and practical choices without inflated health claims.
Microwaving food in plastic containers: what the particle studies show
Do plastic containers shed particles when heated? The experiments, the heating-method debate and sensible kitchen choices without claiming proven harm.
Microfibres from washing clothes: which laundry changes help?
Which laundry choices reduce microfibres in wastewater? Compare cooler cycles, fuller loads and filters, with the limits of the published tests made clear.
Microplastics in indoor air: what the measurements mean at home
How do scientists measure microplastics in indoor air, and which cleaning and ventilation steps make sense? Understand the evidence and its limits.
Tap vs bottled water: what microplastics research can actually tell you
Are there more microplastics in tap or bottled water? A careful look at the evidence, disputed particle counts and what to check before choosing.
You’re Already Eating Plastic. Here’s What the Science Actually Says.
TL;DR A new review paper maps exactly where microplastics come from, where they go, and what they do to us. The picture is not great — but here’s what’s…
Microplastic diagnostics in humans: ‘The 3Ps’
TL;DR:Microplastic diagnostics in humans: ‘The 3Ps’ Progress, problems, and prospects” by Gurusamy Kutralam‑Muniasamy, V.C. Shruti, Fermín Pérez‑Guevara and…
Opinions of parents and parents-to-be on micro- and nanoplastics: knowledge and willingness to implement change in Canada
Nikita E. Harvey, Lauren C.M. Ringer, Darcie Stapleton, Jayne Simmons, Karl J. Jobst and Lindsay S. Cahill explores what Canadian parents know about micro-…
Plastics and Human Health: How Perception of Human Health Risks Can Reduce Plastics Consumption?
Malin Francke, Vaishali Arora, Andrea Dobri, and Jelena Barbir examines whether clear information about health risks from plastics and microplastics can…
The invisible enemy. Public knowledge of microplastics is needed to face the current microplastics crisis
Eva Garcia-Vazquez (University of Oviedo, Spain) and Cristina Garcia-Ael (UNED, Madrid, Spain), published in Sustainable Production and Consumption (2021)…
Association between microplastics and the functionalities of human gut microbiome
Authors: Bei Gao, Lixia Chen, Lizhi Wu, Shirui Zhang, Sunan Zhao, Zhe Mo, Zhijian Chen, Pengcheng Tu This pilot study investigates how microplastics…