Nano Plastics Are Invisible

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Researchers know almost nothing about nano plastics. They are invisible and cannot simply be scooped up. One study deliberately let pregnant mice inhale extremely tiny particles, later found the particles in almost every organ in their foetuses. To enter cells, particles generally need to be smaller than a few hundred nanometers. There was no formal definition of anano plastic until 20 18 when french searchers propose the upper size limit of one micrometer.

Scientists are trying to figure out whether these pervasive plastic specks are dangerous.

Wherever they look – from the bottom of oceans to the top of mountains – researchers are uncovering tiny specks of plastic, known as microplastics.

Scientists are trying to understand the potential impacts of ingesting these pervasive plastics but early results are ambiguous, as some experiments might not reflect the diversity of microplastics that exist in the real world.

This is an audio version of our feature: Microplastics are everywhere — but are they harmful?

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