#Nurdles: The Worst #ToxicWaste You’ve Probably Never Heard Of

Billions of these tiny #plastic pellets are floating in the ocean, causing as much damage as oil spills, yet they are still not classified as hazardous

by Karen McVeigh

"Nurdles, the colloquial term for 'pre-production #plastic pellets', are the little-known building block for all our plastic products. The tiny beads can be made of #polyethylene, #polypropylene, #polystyrene, polyvinyl chloride (#PVC) and other plastics. Released into the environment from plastic plants or when shipped around the world as raw material to factories, they will sink or float, depending on the density of the pellets and if they are in freshwater or saltwater.

"They are often mistaken for food by seabirds, fish and other wildlife. In the environment, they fragment into nanoparticles whose hazards are more complex. They are the second-largest source of #micropollutants in the ocean, by weight, after tyre dust. An astounding 230,000 tonnes of nurdles end up in oceans every year."

#PlasticPollution #Micrplastics

Read more: https://getpocket.com/explore/item/nurdles-the-worst-toxic-waste-you-ve-probably-never-heard-of?utm_source=pocket-newtab