Rising Microplastics Endanger Chesapeake Bay Oysters, Human Health
With global plastic production projected to top 445 million tons next year, Maryland scientists say microplastic pollution is posing growing risks to the Chesapeake Bay - and to the oysters and people who depend on it.
Microplastics - plastic fragments smaller than 5 millimeters - enter waterways through discarded containers, bags, paint and even personal care products. Once in the bay, 94% of those particles remain trapped in the ecosystem, according to Penn State researchers.
"When they’re in the smaller forms, that’s when they can be easily ingested by marine life,"...
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