MICROPLASTICS ALERT

Satellites track worsening ocean pollution

Despite their name, microplastics are a gigantic player in polluting the world. These fibres, beads and fragments – defined as being less than five millimetres in size – have infiltrated nearly every environment especially the oceans. To track the problem, researchers are homing in on these seaborne flecks from space. Recent research in scientific reports details how microplastics appear to flow alongside floating patches of oily and soapy substances called surfactants, which create distinct footprints in ocean currents. Those footprints are detectable by NASA’s network of eight hurricane monitoring satellites. Tracking them could help map microplastics’ spread, aiding cleanup and regulation efforts, reports Scientific American.