New research suggests that microplastics in our oceans might be hundreds of thousands of times more abundant than current detection methods are reporting.
Microplastic particles (MPs) are tiny fragments of plastic, less than 5mm. They result from both commercial production and the breakdown of larger plastics. One of the biggest sources is synthetic fabrics.
Chemicals within microplastics have now made their way into oceans and waterways, and even drinking water, causing concern to scientists and public health officials. The increase of microplastics in aquatic systems is dangerous to both marine life and creatures, including humans, through the consumption of seafood.
Recent reports have also that microplastics themselves are common in every part of the human body, including the testicles.
A new study, published in the Marine Pollution Bulletin, shows that the problem is likely to be even greater than we previously thought.
Using Raman microspectroscopy to determine the chemical makeup of samples, the scientists analysed ocean waters from the Caribbean to the Arctic. Their results show that the most abundant and tiny microplastics aren’t being detected by current methods.
Normally, microplastics in ocean waters are measured using net tow surveys. Tightly meshed “plankton nets” sieve microplastics out of the water, which can then be analysed.
These plankton nets detect particles between 300–500 micrometres in size, where a micrometre is one millionth of a metre. The Raman microspectroscopy technique is able to reveal microplastics much smaller than just 15 micrometres.
“Our results highlight the numerical primacy of small microplastic particles in seawater, and we found that the most abundant microplastics were between 1 and 14 micrometres,” says first author Medina Faull, from Stony Brook University in New York. “60% were under 5 micrometres, and none were larger than 53 micrometres.”
“This size fraction has been totally overlooked in almost all marine microplastics.” Faull adds.
The Raman microspectroscopy based research found microplastics less than 53 micrometres in size hundreds of thousands of times more often than all the combined reports around the globe using traditional detection techniques.
The false-color images of green and red match for specific polymers detected in the particle. Credit: Luis Medina Faull.
“Understanding health risks from exposure to microplastics is a vastly understudied area, and investigations are needed to understand the health impacts from microplastics of different shapes, sizes, and compositions,” says Jaymie Meliker, a public health researcher at Stony Brook University who was not involved in the study.
Faull emphasises the need for wider research on microplastics in the ocean.
“Firstly, most of the ocean is grossly under-sampled, and the majority of existing data is based on towed net studies. And smaller, less buoyant microplastic particles residing below the ocean’s upper few meters are almost never sampled. Secondly, understanding sources of microplastics transport and final landing locations such as ocean floors is crucial to explain the distribution patterns of microplastics throughout the ocean,” he explains.
News
A Common Sugar May Loosen Cancer Cells and Help Them Spread
Chemotherapy may kill most ovarian cancer cells, but the few that survive can turn dangerously active. By releasing fructose, they may help nearby tumor cells break free and spread. Researchers at The Wistar Institute [...]
COVID-19 can wake up dormant viruses in the body, large study confirms
Virus reactivations by SARS-CoV-2 could worsen initial symptoms and increase risk of Long Covid. Early in the COVID-19 pandemic, scientists noticed that a SARS-CoV-2 infection can “wake up” other, dormant viruses already present in [...]
Scientists Discover the Brain May Enter a New Biological Phase Between 50 and 75
A single-cell study reveals major changes in immune cells, genome organization, and gene regulation within the aging human hippocampus, offering important insights into brain aging and dementias associated with age. Between roughly ages 50 [...]
Our books now available worldwide!
Online Sellers other than Amazon, Routledge, and IOPP Indigo Global Health Care Equivalency in the Age of Nanotechnology, Nanomedicine and Artifcial Intelligence Global Health Care Equivalency In The Age Of Nanotechnology, Nanomedicine And Artificial [...]
Unzipping the Code of Life: Scientists Pinpoint Where DNA First Opens
Researchers mapped where DNA first opens and how a helicase gate may release one strand as genome copying begins. Before a cell can divide, it must open its tightly wound DNA and begin copying the entire [...]
Scientists Tested an 8-Hour Eating Window and Found a Surprising Brain Benefit
Limiting the daily eating window may provide brain benefits beyond those associated with weight loss. Eating within a shorter daily window may provide cognitive benefits beyond those associated with weight loss alone, according to [...]
Focused Ultrasound Opens Blood-Brain Barrier to Treat Brain Cancer
Summary: A new study demonstrates that primary brain tumors (gliomas) are particularly receptive to targeted drug delivery using focused ultrasound (FUS) combined with microbubbles. The team developed a high-resolution MRI protocol to track blood-brain barrier [...]
AI’s promise and practical limits in drug discovery
AI tools are becoming increasingly common in early drug discovery, allowing scientists to analyse data and navigate large volumes of research. However, according to Dr Raminderpal Singh, turning that potential into consistent scientific workflows [...]
GHCE Concept
From the preface of the book Global Health Care Equivalency in the Age of Nanotechnology, Nanomedicine and Artificial Intelligence, Edited by Frank Boehm: Since the publication of my first book (Nanomedical Device and Systems [...]
Healthcare Headlines: Challenges and Advances in 2026
Health-related updates reveal financial adjustments by Universal Health Services due to Medicaid reimbursement uncertainties, significant pollution-linked health concerns from French-British oil firm Perenco in Congo, drug trial setbacks, potential restructuring at major medical firms, [...]
Scientists Discover the Brain Protein That Helps Alzheimer’s Spread Through the Brain
Scientists have identified a brain protein that may help Alzheimer’s spread, revealing a potential new target for slowing the disease’s progression. Alzheimer’s disease is closely linked to the accumulation of a toxic form of the protein [...]
How Immune Dysregulation Contributes to Psychiatric Disorders
Introduction Growing evidence suggests that disruptions in immune function may play an important role in the development and progression of psychiatric disorders. However, immune mechanisms probably contribute more strongly in some patients than others, [...]
Electrostatic Discharge Boosts Triboelectric Nanogenerator Current and Enables DC Output
Controlled electrical discharges could enable triboelectric nanogenerators to achieve higher peak currents, extending nano-enabled energy harvesting into chemical processing and self-powered sensing. Paper: Electrostatic discharge as a breakthrough strategy for triboelectric nanogenerators. A new review [...]
Swiss laboratory uses old drugs against rare diseases
Researchers at the University of Geneva are combing through collections of approved drugs to find new therapies for rare diseases – with some success. This approach is gaining traction around the world, while pharmaceutical [...]
Nanozyme Aptasensors Show Promise for Faster Food, Health, and Environmental Testing
By pairing robust artificial enzymes with highly selective aptamers, nanozyme aptasensors could help detect disease biomarkers, pathogens, and contaminants faster, but the review shows that real-world deployment still depends on overcoming matrix interference, biofouling, [...]
Paralyzed Man Feels Sensation Again With Brain Stimulation Device
Aneuroprosthetic system has allowed a man with paralysis to grasp and lift objects and feel touch again. The device helped 42-year-old Keith Thomas of Massapequa, New York, who was paralyzed from the chest down [...]
