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Pollution

Predicting the fate of plastic in the environment

Nature Water volume 1, pages 490–491 (2023)Cite this article

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A model that predicts the masses of microplastics in river networks is a step forward in our goal of tackling global plastic pollution.

The presence of plastic in the environment has raised concerns about the risk that it may pose to ecosystems and humans for many years4. Among the various classes of plastic, microplastics are loosely defined as micro-to-millimetre-sized particles. Environmental risks arise due to a combination of the hazard (for instance, how toxic a chemical is to organisms) and the concentrations to which organisms are exposed, with higher concentrations causing higher risk of adverse effects and potential ecosystem impacts.

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Fig. 1: Microplastic behaviour.

Martin Harvey/ Photodisc/ Getty

References

  1. Draft resolution: End Plastic Pollution: Towards an International Legally Binding Instrument (UNEP, 2022); https://wedocs.unep.org/bitstream/handle/20.500.11822/38522/k2200647_-_unep-ea-5-l-23-rev-1_-_advance.pdf

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology, Lancaster Environment Centre, Library Avenue, Lancaster University, Lancaster, UK

    Sam Harrison

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  1. Sam Harrison
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Correspondence to Sam Harrison.

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Harrison, S. Predicting the fate of plastic in the environment. Nat Water 1, 490–491 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1038/s44221-023-00097-2

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s44221-023-00097-2

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