10 September 2026
Intense rains coupled with poor waste management cause big spikes in pollution.
Microplastic pollution can persist in the environment for a long time, harming marine ecosystems when released into the oceans. Credit: Narumon Bowonkitwanchai/Getty
Rivers carry microplastics into the ocean, but inconsistent sampling methods and sparse observations have hampered scientists’ ability to understand the problem’s scale. Now, a study1 shows that river-driven microplastics are a much bigger problem than was previously known.
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