E-Mail IMAGE: Plastic waste can contaminate water supply as it breaks down into microplastics and its additives leach out. These additives sometimes contain harmful chemicals which accumulate in the environment and in... view more Credit: Seung-Kyu Kim from Incheon National University Plastic pollution has been at the center of environmental debate for decades. While it is well-known that plastic in the environment can break down into microplastics, be ingested by humans and other organisms, transfer up the food chain, and cause harm, this is only one part of the picture. Plastics are almost always enriched with additives, which makes them easier to process, more resistant, or more performant. This poses a second problem: when the polymer material is left in an environment for long durations, these additives can easily leach out and contaminate the environment.