IMPERIAL BEACH, Calif.—Bacteria, viruses, and chemicals from ocean pollution flowing from the Tijuana River is becoming airborne and blowing inland in Imperial Beach, according to research released Mar. 2 by the Scripps Institution of Oceanography at the University of California–San Diego (UCSD). The study found that this coastal water pollution—largely untreated sewage runoff as a…

Researchers from Flinders University have detected microplastics in South Australian beach waters and mussels, warning that microplastics are potentially entering the human food chain. “By investigating microplastic load in the mussel, we call attention to the implications of microplastic pollution on South Australia’s unique marine ecosystems and on the local human food chain,” said Janet…

Some 25,900 tons of pandemic-related plastic now pollute the ocean, with the majority stemming from hospital and medical waste, a study has found. The study, published in the online journal PNAS on Monday, found that since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic until Aug. 23 this year, approximately 8.4 million tons of plastic waste had been…

SAN CLEMENTE, Calif.—Single-use masks and gloves mandated in response to the coronavirus pandemic were a significant source of beach pollution, according to the Surfrider Foundation’s Beach Cleanup annual report. More than 2,270 single-use masks and gloves were removed from beaches and waterways from June to December during the San Clemente-based foundation’s Beach Cleanup program. The…