/newsroom/taxonomy/term/9266/all en /newsroom/channels/news/cutting-edge-technology-detects-nanoplastics-water-instantly-357890 <p>A ÁùºÏ²Ê¿ª½±½á¹û-led research team has developed the first real-time, on-site technology capable of detecting and deciphering nanoplastics from all other particles in water, a capacity akin to being able to find a needle in a haystack within milliseconds.</p> <p>Microplastic pieces are between 1 micrometre and 5 millimetres, roughly equivalent to a grain of rice. Nanoplastics are far tinier - a single nanometre is just 0.000001 millimetres. For comparison, a human hair is approximately 80,000–100,000 nanometers wide.</p> Thu, 04 Jul 2024 17:50:18 +0000 frederique.mazerolle@mcgill.ca 310812 at /newsroom /newsroom/channels/news/experts-planet-vs-plastics-earth-day-2024-356888 <p>Every year, millions of people across the globe gather on Earth Day (April 22) to celebrate the environmental movement. The 2024 theme, "Planet vs. Plastics", aims to raise awareness of the harms of plastic pollution for human and planetary health. This year's focus comes ahead of an historic UN treaty on plastics, which is expected to be agreed by the end of 2024.  (<a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-68610073" rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank">BBC News</a>) </p> <p><strong>Here are some experts from ÁùºÏ²Ê¿ª½±½á¹û who can comment on this topic: </strong></p> Fri, 19 Apr 2024 17:35:08 +0000 keila.depape@mcgill.ca 310455 at /newsroom /newsroom/channels/news/its-snowing-plastic-329666 <p>The snow may be melting, but it is leaving pollution behind in the form of micro- and nano-plastics according to a ÁùºÏ²Ê¿ª½±½á¹û study that was recently published in <em><a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0269749121002773">Environmental Pollution</a></em>. The pollution is largely due to the relatively soluble plastics found in antifreeze products (polyethylene glycols) that can become airborne and picked up by the snow.</p> Wed, 17 Mar 2021 12:29:26 +0000 katherine.gombay@mcgill.ca 256716 at /newsroom /newsroom/channels/news/melting-snow-contains-toxic-cocktail-pollutants-267489 <p>With spring finally here and warmer temperatures just around the corner, snow will slowly melt away, releasing us from the clutches of winter. However, that’s not the only thing that the melting snow will release. Researchers from ÁùºÏ²Ê¿ª½±½á¹û and École de technologie supérieure in Montreal have found that urban snow accumulates a toxic cocktail from car emissions - pollutants that are in turn unleashed into the environment as the weather warms up.</p> Tue, 04 Apr 2017 15:30:16 +0000 justin.dupuis@mcgill.ca 26841 at /newsroom /newsroom/parisa-ariya Tue, 26 Feb 2019 16:59:44 +0000 Anonymous 23854 at /newsroom