Study identifies fungus that breaks down ocean plastic

A fungus living in the sea can break down the plastic polyethylene, provided it has first been exposed to UV radiation from sunlight. Researchers from, among others, NIOZ published their results in the journal Science of ...

A natural gem is being destroyed by plastic

Mausund and the Froan Nature Reserve in Trøndelag have had notable problems with plastic litter for many years. Professional clean-up work began a few years ago with the removal of marine litter in the archipelago's islands ...

Microbes in cow stomachs can break down plastic

Plastic is notoriously hard to break down, but researchers in Austria have found that bacteria from a cow's rumen—one of the four compartments of its stomach—can digest certain types of the ubiquitous material, representing ...

A full picture of the origin and nature of ocean litter

A new study published in Nature Sustainability provides the first complete diagnosis of the origin and nature of the litter dumped into the ocean. The collaboration between research institutions such as Wageningen University ...

Microplastic drifting down with the snow

Over the past several years, microplastic particles have repeatedly been detected in seawater, drinking water, and even in animals. But these minute particles are also transported by the atmosphere and subsequently washed ...

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