Microplastics Are Chemically Alive and Probably Up to No Good

Many scientists have argued that microplastics pose a real, if often subtle, threat to human health. A study out this week may provide a vital clue as to how this harm is happening.

Researchers at Columbia University and others took a close look at how microplastics behave in water. They found that when plastic is broken up into tiny fragments and surrounded by water, it can easily produce highly reactive molecules. Though more study is still needed to understand the…