🚨 Calling all Microplastic and Plastic Pollution Researchers and policy makers!

The Research Triangle Health Collaborative in coordination with RTI International is hosting its 2025 Summit titled, "Local Solutions to a Global Problem: Microplastics in North Carolina".

This meeting will be held (in person only) at the NC Biotech Center in RTP, NC on January 29-30, 2025. Registration is open now.

Link: https://environmentalhealthcollaborative.org/2025-summit/

@D_J_Nathanson @drustevenson thanks for connecting. Yes silicone products can shed microplastics. The impact to the environment or human health for these types of microplastics is not well understood.

https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/chemistry/articles/10.3389/fchem.2023.1165523/full

New report on plastics and climate is out!

The plastic life cycle is associated with 2 Gt of green house emissions.

Report says 85% of total plastic greenhouse gas emissions are associated with production stage of plastics.

Plastic type matters as PS has the largest CO2 emission per ton of polymer (PS> PET> PP > LDPE = HDPE).

6% of total plastic green house gas emissions is associated with current forms of waste management.

Read more here:
https://www.grida.no/publications/1023

I am excited to announce I will be a part of a new Roundtable on Plastics with National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. This roundtable will explore the complex and diverse issues around reducing plastic waste, among other topics. Learn more:
https://www.nationalacademies.org/our-work/roundtable-on-plastics

Alarming new microplastics study: Patients with microplastics identified in their heart had higher risk of stroke, heart attack or death.

Majority of the microplastics were fragmented polyethylene or pvc.

https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMoa2309822

New study showing potential exposure to microplastics via IV bags quantifies hundreds of microplastics per sample. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S1382668924000516?via%3Dihub

A year in the making, we are happy to announce the launch of our state-of-the-science report on plastic chemicals.
Join us for the virtual launch on March 14th, 14:00 CET hosted by Geneva Environment Network.
Registration: https://plastchem-project.org
#INC4 #plasticstreaty #plasticpollution

@plastisphere @calimari thanks for sharing! I love those ideas!!!

If you are looking for a new podcast to check out whilst learning about the world of plastic pollution and solutions, I recommend you check out one of these three podcasts!

1. Plastisphere podcast is one of the first podcasts I started listening to back in 2020 and I’m a huge fan of Anjas method of plastic story telling!

https://anjakrieger.com/plastisphere/

2. The indisposable podcast created by Upstream celebrate solutions to plastic pollution and feature heroes of the movement.

https://open.spotify.com/show/0LNTuP0IaStYu11l9R3rVL?si=RbhotLenSSCNReFn_GLVEQ

3. Aquathread podcast is one of the newest podcast talking about plastics and hosted by my coauthor of Plastics Professor Jenna Jambeck! I was lucky to be one of the rotating cohosts of season 1.
https://www.npr.org/podcasts/1194405408/aquathread

What are some of the podcasts you enjoy that cover plastic pollution and solutions?

If you are looking for a new podcast to check out whilst learning about the world of plastic pollution and solutions, I recommend you check out one of these three podcasts!

1. Plastisphere podcast is one of the first podcasts I started listening to back in 2020 and I’m a huge fan of Anjas method of plastic story telling!

https://anjakrieger.com/plastisphere/

2. The indisposable podcast created by Upstream celebrate solutions to plastic pollution and feature heroes of the movement.

https://open.spotify.com/show/0LNTuP0IaStYu11l9R3rVL?si=RbhotLenSSCNReFn_GLVEQ

3. Aquathread podcast is one of the newest podcast talking about plastics and hosted by my coauthor of Plastics Professor Jenna Jambeck! I was lucky to be one of the rotating cohosts of season 1.
https://www.npr.org/podcasts/1194405408/aquathread

What are some of the podcasts you enjoy that cover plastic pollution and solutions?

Cement lined ductile iron pipes might be a great replacement for lead and PVC pipes transporting drinking water for municipalities.

Ductile iron is slightly more expensive than PVC but lasts much longer and doesn’t leach polymer additives of concern.

https://www-ehn-org.cdn.ampproject.org/c/s/www.ehn.org/amp/pvc-versus-iron-water-pipes-2667288280

@SteelFolk @calimari the kindness of mastadon continues! Many thanks! 😊

Always a fun time updating my personal website. Let me know what you think https://www.imariwalker.com

100% of the 62 human placentas tested via Py-GC-MS found microplastics ranging from 6.5–685  ug/g placenta tissue with Polyethylene being the dominant plastic type. PVC and nylon were also common.

https://academic.oup.com/toxsci/advance-article-abstract/doi/10.1093/toxsci/kfae021/7609801

@unchartedworlds @calimari very true! I wonder if this process applies to multiple mask types

@GetzlerChem @calimari good point! Gathering these masks to get to the right destination for recycling is challenging and likely inefficient

Disturbed by the amount of plastic waste caused by single use plastic masks? Researchers are looking into diverting these masks from
ending up in landfills via new innovations to upcycle those masks into a new product.

Thoughts?

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0048969724006065?dgcid=rss_sd_all

Big recommendations for a sustainable circular economy of plastics in this new Nature article:
*50% reduction in plastic demand
*complete phase out of fossil fuel based plastics
*95% recycling rate of plastics
*use of renewable energy

https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-023-06939-z

Microplastics and chemicals associated with plastics were detected in fertilizers originating from biowaste > sewage sludge > agro/food industry. Most microplastics were likely associated with packaging. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0048969724006387