Home > Volume 19, Number 2 > Microplastics and the Chesapeake

Microplastics and the Chesapeake

December 2020 • Volume 19, Number 2

Microplastics collected from a freshwater stream by Florida Sea Grant agent Maia McGuire.

Small Particles, Big Problems?

Rona Kobell

Microplastics are tiny, but they can cause major problems for our air and water. Stemming from fibers in the fabrics we wear to the plastic bags we are given when shopping, microplastics encompass a broad category of everyday objects that are hard to remove from our environment. Scientists agree they are a problem, but how much of one—and even how to measure their impact—is a major challenge. more . . .

A microplastic from the Baltimore Harbor.

Into Focus

If the Baltimore Harbor is a microcosm of microplastics, perhaps the high school students in the city and suburbs that ring it could benefit from a closer look. That’s what Adam Frederick, Maryland Sea Grant’s assistant director of education, is working on as part of an international program to more closely examine what’s growing in the harbor. Students at South Carroll High School are learning to identify fragments and fibers in the waterways. more . . .

About a dozen men in hardhats stand around a newly-made giant roll of Tyvek.

The Evolution of Plastic

Plastics are everywhere in our world. That wasn’t always the case. We have seen a huge expansion of the industry over the past 148 years, from the creation of the first synthetic plastic to the production of plastic bags, utensils, fabrics, home construction materials, and medical supplies. Some of these, like the plastic syringe, are crucial innovations; others are merely convenient disposable items. more . . .