Garbage to Guts: The Slow-Churn of Plastic Waste

Image caption: Humans consume a bewildering amount of microplastics, which affect the gut’s microbiota. Article by Iris Kulbatski, PhD. The Scientist – March 13, 2023.

The earth’s oceans contain vortexes of plastic trash. These slow-swirling patches of suspended debris span a collective area of millions of square kilometers.¹ Polyethylene—commonly used for medical, cosmetic, food wrapping, and industrial purposes—is the most prevalent marine plastic contaminant.² Much of this waste is microplastic (MP) particles […]

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