Microplastics Linger News Today

The Autumn Water Watch hopes to replicate the success of the Big Garden Birdwatch and the Big Butterfly Count, in which hundreds of thousands of individuals record observations to contribute to a national picture.

Hydroelectric dams are crucial for producing electricity. The natural flow of a river is also altered, and access to upstream habitat, which is vital for migratory fish species, is restricted.

For the first time, microplastic contamination has been identified deep in the lungs of living individuals. Almost 80% of the samples examined included the particles.

A new analysis warns that the world's plastic pollution issue is a "planetary emergency" on par with climate change and biodiversity loss.