Concentrations of air pollution have remained relatively high during the second lockdown period in comparison to the first, it has been revealed. Click to read more...
Feb 22 2021 Read 1087 Times
It’s common knowledge that our consumption of plastic has continued to increase over recent years and decades, with much of the plastic generated only designated for single-use purposes. While governments across the globe have attempted to introduce schemes to curb the improper disposal of plastic waste, recycling rates remain depressingly low and a significant proportion of all plastics eventually find their way into our seas and oceans.
Despite these discouraging premises, it may be possible that the overall amount of plastic in our marine environments has levelled off in recent years. Those are the findings of a study conducted by the French oceanographic research institute IFREMER, which pored over a wide range of previously existing marine litter data to come to its conclusions. However, lead author Dr Francois Galgani was quick to temper any optimism that may be engendered from the paper, given that alternative explanations do exist.
Feb 19 2021 Read 496 Times
A new study conducted by scientists from the National Institute of Scientific Research (INRS) in Quebec, Canada suggests that microplastics could be entirely eliminated from wastewater treatment processes. Using a technique known as electrolytic oxidation, the team were able to completely remove microplastics at source, without the introduction of any damaging chemicals or additives.
If the discovery can be demonstrated to be effective outside of a laboratory environment, it could represent a major breakthrough in treating wastewater contaminated with microplastics. At present, there are no established methods of degrading microplastic particles in even the most novel and sophisticated wastewater treatment methods. As such, the INRS study could be invaluable in preventing countless microplastics from entering our seas, oceans and other waterways.
The advent of COVID-19 has precipitated a raft of changes in our daily lifestyles, including stringent quarantine measures throughout the UK for much of the last year and the compulsory wearing of personal protective equipment (PPE) in enclosed public spaces. Click to read more...
Feb 15 2021 Read 1024 Times
With many outbreaks traced back to supermarkets, the question of whether SARS-CoV-2 can live on food products has been raised around the world. While Public Health England has reassured members of the public it is “very unlikely that COVID-19 is transmitted through food or food packaging”, it is possible and both employees and customers should remain vigilant.
The World Health Organisation has issued similar advice, saying “There is currently no evidence that people can catch COVID-19 from food or food packaging. COVID-19 is a respiratory illness and the transmission route is through person-to-person contact and through direct contact with respiratory droplets generated when an infected person coughs or sneezes.”
Feb 12 2021 Read 3523 Times
New insight from experts at the University of Warwick could help explain why food production plants appear to be more susceptible to COVID-19 outbreaks. Across the globe, abattoirs and meat processing plants have experienced mass infection, including a chicken processing site in Anglesey where more than 150 employees contracted the virus. Major outbreaks have also occurred in France, Germany, Spain and the United States.
So why are meat production plants experiencing outbreak after outbreak? According to Professor of Molecular Oncology Lawrence Young, abattoirs and meat processing plants provide the perfect environment for the virus to spread.
“Factories and, in particular, indoor areas which are cold and damp, are perfect environments for coronavirus to linger and spread," says Young. "Virus-containing droplets from infected individuals are more likely to spread, settle and stay viable."
Microplastics have been discovered in virtually every part of our environment, from the top of Mount Everest to the deepest part of the ocean (the Mariana Trench). Click to read more...
Feb 10 2021 Read 3693 Times
A new study from Kansas State University has revealed farm soil, and therefore food supply, contains an alarmingly high level of microplastics. Scientists warn that microplastics now pose more of a threat to agricultural soil than oceans, hindering plant development and compromising the health of consumers.
“I had read in the literature that... cadmium and other toxic trace elements [are] increased when we have these particulate plastics in the soil. So, that was of concern to me,” says Mary Beth Kirkham, a plant physiologist and professor of agronomy at Kansas State University.
Microplastics support intake of contaminants