Microplastics and the Chesapeake : Volume 19 Number 2 : Chesapeake Quarterly (dev)

Hazards, Large and Small

By Rona Kobell

Small Particles, Big Problems?

Scientists Grapple with Many Unknowns about Microplastics and Their Impact on the Chesapeake Bay

By 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.

Microplastics in the Environment

Microplásticos y la Bahía de Chesapeake

¿Partículas pequeñas, problemas grandes? Los científicos se enfrentan a muchos desafíos sobre los microplásticos y su impacto en la Bahía de Chesapeake

By Rona Kobell

Microplásticos en el Medio Ambiente

Into Focus (opens in a new tab)

Helping Students See the Microplastics in Their World

By Wendy Mitman Clarke

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.

The Evolution of Plastic (opens in a new tab)

By Chesapeake Quasrterly Staff

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.