In a paper out this week, scientists argue that a common industrial chemical is contributing to Parkinson’s disease. The chemical is called trichloroethylene, or TCE. And while some states have recently banned its use, TCE remains widely present throughout the U.S.
An analysis of global plastic data over the past four decades, published in the journal PLOS ONE, found that there’s now an estimated 170 trillion plastic particles—more than 2.2 million tons—floating in the world’s oceans.
People and fish alike along Florida’s west coast are feeling the effects of an ongoing red tide. The toxic algae bloom is making both humans and sea life sick as it persists along nearly 150 miles of the Sunshine State’s coastline.
It’s overwhelming to think about how polluted our oceans are—so much so that it’s increasingly tempting to think of technological solutions to clean it all up. Two new studies shed light on what, exactly, happens to plastic once it enters the ocean, and how some natural processes may be helping to break a lot of it…
For the past year on the coast of France, the waves crashing ashore have borne evidence of an unsettling mystery. An untold number of tiny plastic pellets are landing on the beaches of Brittany, Pays de la Loire, and elsewhere.
