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microplastic

noun

Etymology

From micro- + plastic.

  1. derived from πλαστικός
  2. derived from plasticus
  3. formed as microplastic — “micro- + plastic”

Definitions

  1. Small particles of plastic (typically less than 5 mm) produced by the degradation of…

    Small particles of plastic (typically less than 5 mm) produced by the degradation of plastic products, found in high levels in the marine environment and increasingly throughout all environments and in food and drinks.

    • Huge amounts of plastic waste are dumped in the environment and microplastics now contaminate the entire planet, from the summit of Mount Everest to the deepest oceans.
    • Sailors testing the waters during the Ocean Race, which travels through some of the world’s most remote ocean environments, have found microplastics in every sample.
    • “Even under a variety of policies, including plastic product reduction, waste management, and environmental recycling, microplastic pollution is irreversible and escalating.”

  2. Exhibiting microplasticity.

The neighborhood

Vish — recursive loop

No curated loop yet for microplastic. Loops are being traced one word at a time while the ingestion pipeline matures.

sense glosses and etymology drawn from English Wiktionary · source · CC-BY-SA