Microplastic

Microplastics are plastic particles smaller than 5 mm, either manufactured small (microbeads, pellets) or fragmented from larger debris by sunlight and abrasion. They are found from surface waters to the deep-sea floor and Arctic ice, are ingested across the food web, and carry sorbed pollutants and microbial ‘plastisphere’ communities. Fibers shed from synthetic textiles in laundry are a major source, prompting microbead bans in several countries.