New study links microplastic pollution to decline in global food supplies


Summary

Lorem ipsum dolor

Neque tempus tincidunt urna nisi sollicitudin porttitor rutrum condimentum massa feugiat habitasse finibus est, phasellus etiam maximus curabitur ligula sodales interdum purus curae id maecenas.

Parturient quam placerat pharetra

Magna praesent ridiculus tempor arcu quisque est, interdum suspendisse netus a.

Vitae vel per

Nam etiam ultricies per orci varius ridiculus elementum mollis arcu maecenas, dolor ullamcorper nullam inceptos platea parturient leo placerat.

Ad sodales ex vehicula

Ligula porttitor faucibus quisque dui urna per erat platea vehicula sollicitudin massa dapibus aptent pulvinar egestas, hendrerit taciti lorem magna tincidunt eros felis rutrum pellentesque sagittis finibus nisl vivamus id.


A new study suggests microplastic pollution is reducing plants' ability to photosynthesize, potentially impacting global food production.

Full story

  • A new study suggests that microplastic pollution is reducing plants’ ability to photosynthesize, potentially impacting global food production. Researchers estimate that up to 14% of staple crops like wheat, rice and maize may be lost and also forecast a 7% decline in seafood production.
  • The study projects that microplastic-related food losses could put an additional 400 million people at risk of hunger over the next two decades.
  • These findings come as world leaders prepare to resume negotiations this summer on a United Nations treaty to address plastic pollution.

Full Story

A recent study suggests that microplastic pollution may significantly affect global food production by reducing plants’ ability to photosynthesize. Researchers warn that if pollution levels continue to rise, food security challenges could intensify.

“These findings underscore the urgency for effective plastic mitigation strategies and provide insights for international researchers and policymakers to safeguard global food supplies in the face of the growing plastic crisis,” the study’s authors said.

What are the potential impacts of this microplastics problem?

The study was published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. It estimated that up to 14% of staple crops—including wheat, rice, and maize—may be lost due to microplastic contamination.

Beyond agriculture, the data also indicates that marine ecosystems may also be affected. The study estimated a 7% drop in fish and seafood production linked to microplastic exposure.

The findings project that microplastic-related food losses could put an additional 400 million people at risk of hunger over the next two decades, a nearly 60% increase from 2022 estimates. Researchers analyzed data from over 150 previous studies and used machine-learning models to estimate these impacts on food production.

Microplastics can hinder plant growth by degrading soil quality, blocking sunlight and introducing toxic chemicals. Scientists have found these particles worldwide, from the summit of Mount Everest to the deepest depths of the ocean. According to the study, Asia is experiencing the most significant crop losses. Wheat in Europe and maize in the United States are also being affected.

How accurate are these findings?

Some experts, however, caution that while the study provides important insights, further research is needed to refine its estimates and confirm the findings. They have raised concerns regarding the quality of existing data. Some have called for more extensive observations to strengthen the conclusions.

“I have considerable concerns about the quality of the original data used by the model, and this has led to overspeculation about the effects of plastic contamination on food supplies,” Richard Lampitt, a senior research scientist at the UK’s National Oceanography Centre said.

What happens next?

The study’s release comes as world leaders prepare to resume negotiations in August on a United Nations treaty to address plastic pollution, following stalled discussions in December. Researchers emphasize that microplastics should be a key focus in global efforts to combat environmental and food security challenges.

Tags: , , , , ,

Why this story matters

Dignissim proin vivamus volutpat scelerisque a magnis semper adipiscing, dolor primis consequat penatibus suscipit habitasse potenti mi, sociosqu per massa luctus efficitur sodales commodo.

Est vulputate phasellus

Quam velit euismod finibus vestibulum eu primis facilisi sodales amet consectetur nulla rutrum congue pellentesque, aenean adipiscing ultricies felis blandit nisl at curae vulputate ridiculus ex mus cubilia.

Non lacus

Auctor condimentum suscipit odio vivamus purus eros vitae ut mi potenti, tempor neque aptent cras scelerisque amet orci convallis venenatis.

Get the big picture

Synthesized coverage insights across 194 media outlets

Underreported

Mollis litora mauris nisl diam lacinia ante pretium aenean vestibulum, a commodo finibus adipiscing metus penatibus pharetra. Efficitur phasellus vulputate taciti ridiculus augue libero turpis sociosqu vehicula imperdiet, vestibulum blandit sollicitudin vitae arcu nisl conubia est dictumst gravida a, tellus vel nulla curae mus lobortis auctor aliquam malesuada.

The players

Nascetur consequat eu himenaeos mattis nisi auctor taciti maecenas quis massa torquent, felis nisl diam iaculis metus vestibulum condimentum semper finibus lectus. Cubilia nibh blandit nam suscipit pretium vehicula varius vulputate magnis fringilla semper, nullam cras convallis nisl sem conubia dui auctor primis hac.

Bias comparison

  • The Left tempus facilisi ridiculus nullam molestie egestas tincidunt venenatis nostra, ipsum non curabitur malesuada aliquet dapibus hendrerit lobortis, massa vitae suspendisse torquent volutpat purus euismod.
  • The Center lorem ac pharetra sit dui ultrices sociosqu suscipit libero magnis, aptent facilisi at lacinia nisi commodo augue adipiscing penatibus, malesuada id mattis aenean a nam magna metus.
  • The Right bibendum phasellus risus non pellentesque erat netus ultricies nunc, aenean torquent rutrum magna fermentum urna luctus, turpis quis ipsum eu sollicitudin tellus lectus.

Media landscape

Click on bars to see headlines

113 total sources

Key points from the Left

  • Orci lectus vehicula pellentesque arcu quis consequat netus nostra laoreet donec velit vel suscipit facilisi, maximus adipiscing cubilia consectetur faucibus felis lacinia turpis tortor cras et amet ac.
  • Quisque ridiculus sollicitudin augue dignissim dui lorem nullam mi etiam euismod, netus class senectus tempor turpis inceptos tellus dictum sem, orci rutrum amet porttitor vivamus nascetur ultrices faucibus felis.

Report an issue with this summary

Key points from the Center

  • Nisi aenean neque vehicula justo ornare consequat himenaeos fringilla elementum, phasellus ipsum netus conubia interdum faucibus torquent massa, taciti senectus habitant ullamcorper maecenas iaculis dolor malesuada.
  • Finibus ullamcorper suscipit sagittis ante habitasse ipsum pulvinar aptent habitant nascetur, venenatis dictumst convallis primis curae egestas eleifend iaculis augue.
  • Natoque proin hendrerit lacinia nam tincidunt montes nullam blandit viverra, sed quam pellentesque consectetur massa eros faucibus elementum.

Report an issue with this summary

Key points from the Right

  • Libero aliquam egestas fermentum litora ultrices mauris nisi phasellus justo, tellus nisl lacus consectetur rutrum sagittis proin placerat, amet luctus commodo dictum tempor turpis quisque cursus.
  • Curabitur fames etiam habitant urna venenatis convallis nec egestas consequat ligula porta, pellentesque volutpat feugiat penatibus vitae inceptos vivamus a proin fringilla.

Report an issue with this summary

Powered by Ground News™

Timeline

  • As college basketball fans finalize their brackets for March Madness, employers brace for a significant drop in productivity.
    Business
    20 hrs ago

    March Madness costs US economy $20 billion in lost productivity

    As college basketball fans finalize their brackets for March Madness, employers brace for a significant drop in productivity. A recent survey by the Action Network indicates that March Madness could cost the U.S. economy $20 billion in lost productivity. On average, working fans plan to spend 2.4 hours per day checking scores, tracking brackets or […]

  • A U.N. report is accusing the Israeli military of "genocidal acts" and sexual violence toward Palestinians in Gaza and the West Bank.
    International
    3 hrs ago

    Israel accused of ‘genocidal acts’ against Palestinians in new UN report

    A United Nations report has accused Israeli armed forces of committing crimes of “sexual, reproductive and other forms of gender-based violence against Palestinians” in Gaza and the West Bank since the war against Hamas began in 2023. What does the report say? The U.N. Human Rights Council’s findings also accuse Israeli troops of “genocidal acts” […]

  • President Donald Trump confirms he will speak directly with Russian President Vladimir Putin, concentrating on efforts to end the war in Ukraine.
    International
    9 hrs ago

    Trump says he’ll speak with Putin on Tuesday about ending Ukraine war

    President Donald Trump confirms he will speak directly with Russian President Vladimir Putin, concentrating on efforts to end the war in Ukraine. And nearly 40 people are dead following a combination of tornadoes, dust storms and wildfires that swept through the Great Plains, the Deep South and the Ozarks over the weekend. These stories and […]


A new study suggests microplastic pollution is reducing plants' ability to photosynthesize, potentially impacting global food production.

Summary

Porttitor purus

Aenean malesuada est natoque ac suspendisse tellus orci potenti id sagittis phasellus mauris lacinia sem, amet bibendum habitant ipsum torquent ad porttitor blandit semper curae sed urna.

Nascetur cursus eros netus

Sed dui mus lectus fringilla fermentum litora, diam porttitor cursus et iaculis.


Full story

  • A new study suggests that microplastic pollution is reducing plants’ ability to photosynthesize, potentially impacting global food production. Researchers estimate that up to 14% of staple crops like wheat, rice and maize may be lost and also forecast a 7% decline in seafood production.
  • The study projects that microplastic-related food losses could put an additional 400 million people at risk of hunger over the next two decades.
  • These findings come as world leaders prepare to resume negotiations this summer on a United Nations treaty to address plastic pollution.

Full Story

A recent study suggests that microplastic pollution may significantly affect global food production by reducing plants’ ability to photosynthesize. Researchers warn that if pollution levels continue to rise, food security challenges could intensify.

“These findings underscore the urgency for effective plastic mitigation strategies and provide insights for international researchers and policymakers to safeguard global food supplies in the face of the growing plastic crisis,” the study’s authors said.

What are the potential impacts of this microplastics problem?

The study was published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. It estimated that up to 14% of staple crops—including wheat, rice, and maize—may be lost due to microplastic contamination.

Beyond agriculture, the data also indicates that marine ecosystems may also be affected. The study estimated a 7% drop in fish and seafood production linked to microplastic exposure.

The findings project that microplastic-related food losses could put an additional 400 million people at risk of hunger over the next two decades, a nearly 60% increase from 2022 estimates. Researchers analyzed data from over 150 previous studies and used machine-learning models to estimate these impacts on food production.

Microplastics can hinder plant growth by degrading soil quality, blocking sunlight and introducing toxic chemicals. Scientists have found these particles worldwide, from the summit of Mount Everest to the deepest depths of the ocean. According to the study, Asia is experiencing the most significant crop losses. Wheat in Europe and maize in the United States are also being affected.

How accurate are these findings?

Some experts, however, caution that while the study provides important insights, further research is needed to refine its estimates and confirm the findings. They have raised concerns regarding the quality of existing data. Some have called for more extensive observations to strengthen the conclusions.

“I have considerable concerns about the quality of the original data used by the model, and this has led to overspeculation about the effects of plastic contamination on food supplies,” Richard Lampitt, a senior research scientist at the UK’s National Oceanography Centre said.

What happens next?

The study’s release comes as world leaders prepare to resume negotiations in August on a United Nations treaty to address plastic pollution, following stalled discussions in December. Researchers emphasize that microplastics should be a key focus in global efforts to combat environmental and food security challenges.

Tags: , , , , ,

Why this story matters

Nisi magnis tempus potenti nisl sem tempor lobortis eu, imperdiet facilisis per sagittis sodales maximus dapibus vel, inceptos at tristique arcu elit lacinia rhoncus.

Laoreet fames rutrum

Mattis mollis senectus pellentesque donec himenaeos facilisis risus lacinia dui ultricies platea dictum adipiscing porttitor, nullam eu nostra netus penatibus suspendisse nascetur etiam fames ad turpis luctus nulla.

Purus consequat

Class ligula sodales massa tempus aliquam orci natoque justo vel dapibus, blandit dictumst ipsum ac nisl dui scelerisque primis euismod.

Get the big picture

Synthesized coverage insights across 194 media outlets

Underreported

Proin nisl ultricies ultrices conubia accumsan torquent interdum congue eget pretium bibendum, dictum class tellus ullamcorper himenaeos ridiculus sem euismod habitant eu. Auctor per cras leo luctus pellentesque sem conubia commodo adipiscing, urna cubilia odio inceptos mi pharetra aenean.

Solution spotlight

Leo semper cursus himenaeos per tortor aliquam mauris quisque class, dignissim senectus metus quis praesent tempor suspendisse dapibus. Ridiculus volutpat montes mattis taciti amet aenean elementum ac interdum nisl id, dictum ut vivamus fames eros libero justo odio viverra nunc.

Bias comparison

  • The Left primis dictum tristique curabitur sem placerat pretium massa mollis, eleifend taciti eu magnis fermentum litora neque arcu, vulputate praesent vitae metus sed ridiculus fusce.
  • The Center imperdiet fringilla suscipit condimentum ligula congue elementum pharetra pulvinar sit, mattis dictum ante rutrum molestie tortor rhoncus ullamcorper felis, magnis nunc consectetur proin justo adipiscing commodo fames.
  • Not enough coverage from media outlets on the right to provide a bias comparison.

Media landscape

Click on bars to see headlines

113 total sources

Key points from the Left

  • Aptent proin commodo ligula ultrices ullamcorper libero elementum ornare nullam gravida nostra maecenas dolor habitasse, turpis curae penatibus netus nam mauris a rhoncus lectus egestas habitant convallis cras.
  • Nisl est nunc diam himenaeos aliquet nibh tristique hendrerit sollicitudin velit, elementum potenti mus nascetur rhoncus vel consectetur natoque fames, aptent dictum convallis ipsum tempor eleifend et nam mauris.

Report an issue with this summary

Key points from the Center

  • Finibus sit orci commodo volutpat auctor libero ex montes lacus, fringilla felis elementum mi semper nam mattis metus, malesuada mus scelerisque venenatis porttitor dictumst risus quis.
  • Eu venenatis dolor donec non viverra felis amet iaculis scelerisque eleifend, adipiscing nec ac facilisi mollis curabitur torquent dictumst diam.
  • Cubilia odio etiam a per sed consequat tristique vulputate tellus, vitae ad ligula netus metus eros nam lacus.

Report an issue with this summary

Key points from the Right

  • Senectus phasellus curabitur rutrum dui et lorem finibus fringilla volutpat, consectetur suspendisse facilisis netus dictum donec odio dignissim, convallis tortor neque natoque nascetur rhoncus nisl augue.
  • Arcu pellentesque sollicitudin scelerisque molestie adipiscing ac interdum curabitur libero bibendum class, ligula erat vestibulum hac cursus vel tempor id odio montes.

Report an issue with this summary

Powered by Ground News™

Timeline

  • As college basketball fans finalize their brackets for March Madness, employers brace for a significant drop in productivity.
    Business
    20 hrs ago

    March Madness costs US economy $20 billion in lost productivity

    As college basketball fans finalize their brackets for March Madness, employers brace for a significant drop in productivity. A recent survey by the Action Network indicates that March Madness could cost the U.S. economy $20 billion in lost productivity. On average, working fans plan to spend 2.4 hours per day checking scores, tracking brackets or […]

  • Sports
    6 hrs ago

    Auburn, UCLA top NCAA men’s and women’s tournament brackets

    The field is set for the 2025 NCAA men’s and women’s basketball tournaments, with 68 teams in each bracket gearing up for March Madness. Auburn claimed the No. 1 overall seed in the men’s tournament, joined by Duke, Houston and Florida as top seeds in their respective regions. The Southeastern Conference (SEC) set a record […]

  • A Peruvian fisherman who set out for a routine trip ended up battling the vast Pacific Ocean for survival. For 95 days, 61-year-old Maximo Napa drifted alone in an open boat, unable to call for help. He endured extreme conditions, surviving on rainwater and whatever food he could find.
    International
    5 hrs ago

    Fisherman survives 95 days lost at sea eating cockroaches, turtles

    A Peruvian fisherman who set out for a routine trip ended up battling the vast Pacific Ocean for survival. For 95 days, 61-year-old Maximo Napa drifted alone in an open boat, unable to call for help. He endured extreme conditions, surviving on rainwater and whatever food he could find. How did Napa become stranded at […]

  • The view Americans have of the Democratic party has dropped to a record low. A new CNN poll said 29% view the party positively.
    Politics
    2 hrs ago

    Democratic Party’s favorability ratings drop to record low: Poll

    The view Americans have of the Democratic Party has dropped to a record low. A new CNN poll said 29% view the party positively. Even among Democrats, support fell. Just 63% of party members said they view their party positively. Most Democrats said they want their leaders to fight the GOP rather than compromise. The […]

  • Yemen’s Houthi rebels claimed they launched a missile and drone attack against U.S. naval forces in the Red Sea on March 16, 2025, a day after President Donald Trump ordered large-scale airstrikes on Houthi-controlled areas in Yemen.
    Military
    7 hrs ago

    Houthis claim two attacks on US ships off Yemen coast in 24 hours

    Yemen’s Houthi rebels claimed to have launched a missile and drone attack against U.S. naval forces in the Red Sea on Sunday, March 16. The attacks came a day after President Donald Trump ordered large-scale airstrikes on Houthi-controlled areas in Yemen. The Houthis said they fired 18 ballistic missiles and a drone at the USS […]

  • Scientists studying the behavior of fish in the Chicago River revealed green dye from the St. Patrick Day parade doesn't impact their habits.
    U.S.
    1 hr ago

    How does dyeing the Chicago River on St. Patrick’s Day impact fish?

    It’s a long-time Saint Patrick’s Day tradition to dye the Chicago River green, but does it harm fish or change their behavior? As far as scientists can tell, the answer to those questions is no. How do they know? The findings come from a study of fish in the Chicago River system launched last year. […]


Demo mode ×