#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

Last volunteer nurdle hunt at Chessel Bay starting; project featured on One Show https://bitternepark.info/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=12552:last-nurdle-hunt-at-chessel-bay&catid=166&Itemid=92 #southampton #bitternepark #localnews #plasticpollution #nurdles

The beach today, by @legolostatsea: https://twitter.com/LegoLostAtSea/status/1634289320356990990

#microplastic #plasticpollution #nurdles #mermaidstears #ocean #beach

‘The more the merrier’ to help clean up Chessel Bay - starting now! https://bitternepark.info/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=12468:the-more-the-merrier-to-help-clean-up-chessel-bay&catid=166&Itemid=92
#bitternepark #southampton #pollution #nurdles #litter

"'Nurdles' are devastating the environment but they are yet to be classified as hazardous"

#Nurdles #Plastic #Plastics #Environment

https://www.euronews.com/green/2023/01/08/what-are-nurdles-and-how-are-they-devastating-the-environment

Sea urchins raised in sea water with high levels of #plastic #pollution die from developmental #abnormalities. “Even if plastic is not killing animals by ingestion or #entanglement, it can also kill animals by the chemicals in it or on it"
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2022/dec/15/plastic-nurdles-stop-sea-urchins-developing-properly-study-finds #ocean #PVC #nurdles #beach persistent organic pollutants #wildlife

RT @hanspeterarp
Many thanks to @KseniaGroh , @MattMacL and @ZhanyunWang for fantastic collaboration on this!

Thanks Elizabeth Ellenwood for providing the images of #nurdles and #detriticorganoplastoids :-)

Funding: @ZeroPM_H2020 @HorizonEU & #SLUDGEFFECT @forskningsradet & @FulbrightPrgrm

Many thanks to @KseniaGroh , @MattMacL and @ZhanyunWang for fantastic collaboration on this!

Thanks Elizabeth Ellenwood for providing the images of #nurdles and #detriticorganoplastoids :-)

Funding: @ZeroPM_H2020 @HorizonEU & #SLUDGEFFECT @forskningsradet & @FulbrightPrgrm

#nurdles 2022 report on #plasticpollution out now. A great effort by #citizenscience
https://theorkneynews.scot/2022/12/09/rise-in-plastic-nurdle-pollution-recorded-in-2022/

"More nurdles have been found on beaches than ever before as environmental groups call for legislation to class them as marine pollutants so they're subject to stricter laws during handling and transportation."

#Plastic #Plastics #Environment #Nurdles #Pollution

https://news.sky.com/story/record-number-of-plastic-nurdles-found-on-beaches-as-environmental-groups-call-for-tougher-laws-12760697

RT @greatnurdler@twitter.com

The results are in... and more #nurdles have been found than ever before. Thank you to everyone for making this years #greatglobalnurdlehunt our biggest yet! These results show current efforts to stop nurdle pollution are not enough. Spread the word 👉http://ow.ly/XQEJ50LSwIn

🐦🔗: https://twitter.com/greatnurdler/status/1598995755297304576

"Record number of plastic nurdles found on beaches as environmental groups call for tougher laws"

#Nurdles #PlasticPollution #OceanPollution #MaronePollution #Marinelife

https://news.sky.com/story/record-number-of-plastic-nurdles-found-on-beaches-as-environmental-groups-call-for-tougher-laws-12760697

Nurdles, nurdles, and more nurdles.

#nurdles #plastic #pellets #pollution #dangerous #sealife #AnimalLife #ingestion #EcoHazard

https://www.wsj.com/articles/nurdle-hunters-patrol-for-plastic-pellets-that-can-kill-wildlife-11668864095?reflink=desktopwebshare_permalink

"Most plastic products and packaging are made from nurdles, which are melted down by manufacturers"

"The call to action comes from NGO Flora and Fauna International (FFI), which has this week published a new report tracking the scale of pellet pollution and making recommendations for tackling the issue."

"According to their report, 11.5 trillion nurdles – lentil-sized pieces of plastic – end up in oceans every year. Nurdles are used to make a majority of the world’s plastic products; manufacturers melt them down and form them into packaging and products."

#Plastic #Plastics #Nurdles #Oceans

https://www.edie.net/plastic-pollution-shipping-sector-urged-to-crack-down-on-nurdle-spills/