Zooplankton: The Silent Culprits Behind the Plastic Crisis
New research from the University of Massachusetts Amherst reveals that rotifers, a type of microscopic plankton found worldwide, have the ability to chew apart microplastics and create even smaller and potentially more dangerous nanoplastics. Each rotifer can produce between 348,000 to 366,000 nanoplastic particles per day. As microplastics break down into nanoplastics, the particles become more easily spread and pose a greater risk to human health and the environment. The study highlights the need for further research on the impact of nanoplastics and collaboration between scientists to understand the threat they pose.