A new study is the first large-scale global assessment of the plastic-degrading potential of bacteria and found that one in four of the organisms analyzed carried a suitable enzyme.
The “disastrous” way in which plastic is used in farming across the world is threatening food safety and potentially human health, according to a report from the UN’s Food and Agriculture Organization.
A study found the harm from ingesting microplastics included cell death and allergic reactions, and the research is the first to show this happens at levels relevant to human exposure.
A study involving 13,000 people in London found that a relatively small increase in exposure to nitrogen dioxide led to a 32 per cent increase in the risk of needing community-based treatment.