How to Fix the Mega Problem of Microplastics

Ocean Conservancy invites members of the media and the public to join an hour-long discussion and Q&A session on the prevalence and impacts of microplastic pollution and solutions to the problem. The event will be moderated by Dr. Chelsea Rochman, Assistant Professor of Aquatic Ecology at University of Toronto; and paneled by Dr. Britta Baechler, Ocean Conservancy’s Associate Director of Ocean Plastics Research; Dr. Anja Brandon, Ocean Conservancy’s Associate Director of U.S. Plastics Policy; and Matt Simon, science journalist at Wired Magazine and author of the recently published book about microplastics, A Poison Like No Other.

Microplastics – plastic particles less than 5mm – are a fast-growing area of scientific research. Due to their small size, they are easily distributed and have reached every corner of our planet, from deep ocean trenches to the tallest mountain peaks, showing up in our food, drinking water, and organs. They absorb and leach toxic chemicals with known negative impacts on the ocean and other ecosystems. Increasingly, policymakers are evaluating if and how to regulate these pollutants. Last year, California became the first state to mandate microplastic testing for drinking water; and global leaders are considering including microplastics provisions as part of the ongoing UN negotiations for a global plastics treaty.