Microplastics have recently entered the public consciousness for finding their way into our bodies and to some of the most remote places on Earth. But now, a much smaller, potentially much more nefarious, and less understood threat is drawing scientist’s attention—nanoplastics.
They’re not just tinier versions of the same scourge. Early research conducted over the past five years shows that they interact with the environment and living organisms in a totally different way than microplastics. Plus, we know very little about them. What researchers do know has some experts concerned.
Microplastics are on the scale of micrometers, while nanoplastics are mere nanometers. To get a sense of just how small that is, imagine the difference between the size of a WNBA basketball (which is slightly smaller than the NBA equivalent) and a grain of rice. Whereas you can see microplastics on the tip of your finger, or under a regular microscope for the smaller bits, nanoplastics are nearly invisible.
Nanoplastics form when bigger pieces of plastic break down because of UV light, waves, natural enzymes, or other environmental factors. Researchers recently discovered that plankton and Antarctic krill in the oceans break down microplastics and turn them into nanoplastics. But plastic can also break down and get released into the air, for example when people repair sewer pipes. Once airborne, they can float for thousands of kilometers, as far as the Earth’s poles.
The infinitesimal size of nanoplastics is partly why scientists know little about them. “There’s been quite a lot of research on microplastics because they’re easier to detect, you just need a microscope. Nanoplastics are much smaller so you need special techniques to detect them,” environmental chemist Eric Lichtfouse told Motherboard in an interview.
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