19 Oct 2018 --- A new investigation into the published literature on microplastics has found “significant gaps in our understanding of the effects” of the less than 5mm size plastic particles on the environment. The study authors Emily Burns and Alistair Boxall are calling for “better quality and more holistic monitoring studies alongside more environmentally realistic effects studies on the particle sizes and material types that are actually in the environment.” The researchers believe that regulations and controls may be overly focused on microplastics while ignoring the most polluting activities, such as small particles released from car tires.
