of course, for all of our scoring, we say they were about never giving up sports flies every weekend on dw, the watch for links between old school music records and state of the art research on micro plastics. the clock is enough. most old records are made from polyvinyl fluoride, which in slaying people called vinyl all once when, when i lower the stylus onto the record, there's evidently friction there which creates tiny particles. i'm going to be excited to and those tiny particles can turn into a big problem for being done. our resident d j is cooked enough osh his daytime job professor of ecology

the top of the and if i did a lot of d jang while i was at college and beforehand starting with vinyl then cds. and finally, digital i spent 20 years deejaying and i'm unit club audit and the group i mentioned to you today. but now he's playing a different tune, hoping to read the world of micro plastics, the by really famous for its solution at wagner opera house and annual festival would. while the town looks immaculately clean on the surface, there is a less visible problem looking on the streets that close to him not far has the sites on wherever he and his colleague go, they find the immediate conference. plastic waste is up here on the other on one

day back when i started looking at the issue of plastic pollution. and so i decided to count the number of plastic fragments between my home and the supermarket in that week. but if you want me to send over those 2 or 300 meters, i spotted 52 fragments of plastic with a naked eye while walking fit. this will be and if i'd been down like this, i would have found a lot more. there's simply everywhere. as in victor, i didn't be, i think one of the things you can see how it brazen is creating more and more micro plastic bowl. the white bits on steve. now i see my massive tiny particles decomposing into micro plastic. so does this pose a danger to us? moments i'll give a different right now. we believe it's the small fragments that present the greatest danger for dealing with the smaller particles in there's a bigger risk, but that instead of just staying in the digestive tract and being excrete it so that they could pass into body tissue. and then even i'll something that could lead to inflammatory reactions. and once i start prostate, by that said to this is an excellent for you. incentive, visible,

plastic waste is unsightly, but relatively easy to dispose of. once it reaches the microscopic scale, however, it contaminates river's soil and the air all vital for our survival. and this is precisely the issue. the 2 men are investigating. what effect do? micro plastics have on the environment and count on us the it's a problem affecting the entire planet. micro plastics have now even been found in snow on the spot of bard archipelago in the arctic circle. a disturbing discovery, the can sewage treatment plants at least filter out micro plastics from our water. professor clifton, the far from the university of by lloyd is on a field trip. behind the municipal sewage works where the filtered wastewater is

discharged into the local river. his team has devised their own mantle trouble. annette for picking up the plastic particles is okay time to launch, mentor, with little data available until recently. it's a pioneering field of research that requires innovation on the part of the scientist ramos, if you'd like other research groups and due to the issue, we thought it would be pretty straightforward in just a matter of going out. taking samples and performing an experiment. but is a party, but these part of goes behave differently. there are completely new class of substance and incredibly complex. people talk about micro plastic in the environment. but it comes in a range of different shapes and sizes, different compositions and different basic plastics. it's a really complex subject from pacific one queen stuff. let me put tullocks in as i've and bonds and the complex to a challenge for the young research assistant. but also for renowned professor who's not shy of pitching in on the

physical side of research to the particulars. and these particles are incredibly hard to capture because when you need different analytical methods and different forms of experiments and completely different sampling scenarios, it's a lot more difficult to detect them and to do risk assessments. it's really exciting. on the 1st step in each survey is a distinctly low tech affair, collecting and rinsing samples by hand. but actually finding the my nude particles can be easier said than done the i saw it all in. i think there you go. there are quite pop particulars another come with a few particles you can see with your own eyes that they're plastic, plastic, 100000. that they can look at that little blue one here. and we'll see what all the

white stuff is in the lab. before i give them, show them, but there's quite a lot in there to refute the germans tend to think of their country as a clean one, but take a closer look and you'll find this. and that's just one part of the problem. the researchers believe that micro plastics enter rivers by an untold a rate of roots. they want to know what impact they have once they get there. to assist their investigation of conditions on the bottom of the river bed. they brought along a special pump and other instruments. they develop themselves now carefully place it on top. the palm presence, the water from down below, through special aluminum filters. their preparations are a fraction of

a millimeter wine, enabling the researches to fish out particles that are invisible to the human eye. they're hoping to gain new insights, almost like on a mission to mars. back in the university lab, it's a question of rinse and repeat. the aim is to reduce the field trade so that it only contains the microscopic least small plastic articles. the, the sample is now put under the microscope, doctoral student julia and the uses the patch to distribute the substance in small portions onto specimen slides. now that they're visible, she can read out the plastic particles by hand, one at a time, and extremely laborious task, the but it's the only option she has for

a precise examination of the isolated fibers. the . you can tell from the peaks that it's polyethylene, global research into micro plastics is still a fairly new field. but one way or the biology university team is leading the way it both scientists from all manner of disciplines. among them is sema argona by a professor of chemistry from india. it is the chemistry that makes plastics, and that's why the chemistry should solve it also in the chemistry console redone. so this b e d, for example, would be useful. what about those? a logic model, and this is a big problem. it is that if it goes by chance, it leaks in the environment, it's d as in environment for a long time. so give me so you can provide a nice material that looks like b, e, d, but by chance, if it leaks in the environment, it does not state you know,

what might have environment for a long time. but how dangerous or micro plastics for the environment and for us, professor low forces search for answers also features. algy and daphne are commonly known as waters lease. does the man, there are the al g, p r, which the daphne of feet on the document in the cuban somebody. if you can see the haze of algae one and the 1st asking you to notice it are the lucky ones because they're able to swim into this big cloud of food and get their bill. but why water please? unfortunately seem as long as possible for me. i've been working with water police for quite some time to recruit 5. they're one of the model organisms and ecology and just especially in aquatic ecology, reading through because they're the link between uni cellular algy and higher trophic levels and decide this is misty good one. so a lot of fish like beating on water leaves wants to making them a stock component of the oceans, nutritional network then on this website,

and describe the 2nd factor behind using water. please document is that these are all females, daphne it reproduce parts and no genetically or a sexual any physical dentistry. this provides us with genetically identical individuals for experiments, some of which means you can rule out genetic variability. awesome. it's a fantastic model organism because you can work with naturally produced clones get the kona ultimate team and all by some companies that work involves a series of constantly repeated experiments using a variety of instruments. the researchers are still at a very early stage of their mission, but they're convinced that they'll be able to find answers and solutions. and also that we all have to change our habits. vicky in the streets of our treatment of the environmental needs to be a lot more sustainable and it's up to us and the next generation to ensure that we're able to maintain our modern lifestyle. and of course, we also want to have comfortable lives, but we need to take

a more sustainable and mindful approach to all the resources available on smart someone. the professor and diving enthusiast asks whether at some point in the near future what we see in an aquarium will seem like a dream world with nature destroyed by toxic substances created by human kind. fema arkansas shows for students how to analyze the level of toxins contained in plastics. a vital step and assessing the dangers posed by micro plastics. for example, in micro plastic this machine can smell pollutants, especially the which is in synthetic materials. a primary focus in the work of the chemist and her team. and you can see because if they talk about the best dates,

so it's not only the plastic material. so the 15 plastic materials generally do not talk see because the as long molecules. so it's the editors which we put in plastic flow into using is almost the ability to believe, to giving the color to it or plus the size of 2. they might be, don't say the professor at clifton massage, and his team are on the road to the next hotspot. after taking those water samples, they now head out to a patch of farmland, again, on the lookout for micro plastics. the taking samples here is far more straightforward than time consuming lab tests and working outdoors makes for a refreshing change of environment. you are young, the is doing her doctoral thesis on micro plastics in soil. the what impact do micro plastics have on?

so where did they come from? and where did they end up? do they eventually just disintegrate? and are they really dangerous for us to? i'm, is this not too sure? we can't even say how much plastic is actually out there, which is why we're doing this research as something called black unfortunately. and we're not the only consumers here. we're not anything nor via a look at all the soil organisms living in our fields that are mostly beneficial, paid on leave. and we need to know how much of this plastic is in the soil and what damage it does to those tiny creatures shaddick this on then climb p a. him him board to field samples are sent straight to the lab. and by lloyd university, if you williams a lot, then transfers them to a sub system in order to sort out the larger particles procedure that's not as simple as it might sound. this is, are placed in a vibrator device which shakes up the contents over

a period of several hours in order to ensure a strict separation of the compass it elements. it's only the tiniest particles that the researcher is interested in. over in the adjacent lab see mount archival and her fellow chemists are developing a new biodegradable synthetic material. assuming they're successful. the aim is for it to one day be tested in a composting facility. almost i'm not in the facilities in this region and the composite for 2 or 3 months, so it should be possible to complete the d compose at biodegradable, paula and precisely that timeframe. quite finish up about that because the team is constantly working on new methodologies in the process of discovering new insights . they want the data they collect with their cutting edge instruments to help them devise a kind of plastic that does not break down into minute skill pieces and cause harm

to living organisms. first of all, we can see of a materialist by your degree. secondly, it can also come in how much it is bio degraded in how much time. and this is very important to come in. so when it comes to the market, this day is very important. after water and soil. now it's time to look at the air. for this, the team deployed a special measuring mast. it was likewise built by hand at the university's dedicated workshop to cater to the precise requirements of the scientists. the we all know about the exhaust fumes and particulate matter in the air that we read. but what about those invisible micro plastics? could they pose a similar danger the

in order to imitate human air intake, the mast has a horizontal capture basket attached at head height, ecologist and plastic in air specialist, jacobo sta also frequently wonders whether he's constantly breathing in the tiny particles. reflects a note of maybe it's a subconscious thing, may be, but it does make you more aware of the things around you, which is a bit scary. so i talked with the mast is left in place for a number of hours as the air streams through the baskets. net, the team suspect it will lead behind some of those microscopic least small plastic particles. the smaller the particles are, the bigger the subsequent challenge in the lab. the various scientists have already spent several years refining and improving their methods and sometimes discarding them. but they're combined efforts have proved productive. our knowledge of micro

plastics has improved significantly compared to just a decade ago. thanks also to the researchers and by void and their extensive deployment of new technology. yuk of ulster uses the scanning electron microscope to render the invisible plastic visible. the machine helps to both count the particles and determine their constituent elements. the collaborative research effort brings together a range of institutes at different locations all working on the same subject. this is research for the future that is also relevant today. the results are now available from the samples taken out in the field and from wastewater. it can take days if not weeks to process the materials for the researchers to finally access the actual micro plastic content and produce a detailed analysis with a sized summary shows pretty clearly that we have both the larger fragments, but above all the smaller ones. so they should have meant it all before in the

phoenix 9. what was the average size of a sample around 50 microns? i'm deeply that's 50 thousands of a millimeter, but it's the particles content and not the size that the researchers are interested in. that is polyethylene, the p, as you can see here very nicely in the reverse image and narrative. and the chemical characterization has clearly identified it as p. b. and polyethylene, or p e has an extremely long life, making it a particularly ominous adversary for the researchers. and it's a significant source of micro plastic, but there are signs of progress elsewhere. these candies from china are wrapped in a piece of rice paper that is itself edible. this was the idea of the never be that we stop touring this packaging outside in the environment. this could be

a very bad message. never. we are not going to bring anything so that if you produced thoughts doing in the environment, know we are developing something that can be g cycles that can be managed in the least to management the procedure like the normally plastic. but if by chance intentionally or unintentionally it gets lead in the environment, it does not persist like a deformable defensive the environment. so how do our bodies react when we take in micro plastics? here the researchers are discussing images of animal cells. today we know that our digestive tract contain micro plastics. but what happens then? some of these images show how the plastics are absorbed by the cells. in this case, in a mouse the good type of we've shown that the cells absorb the particles and that the intake is higher if there was already micro plastic in the

environment. but the big question is whether there's this effect with humans to the team, from by highlight hopes to get answers at the university of l long and are leading center of medical research here to there are specialists working in the micro plastics collaborative project. there. likewise, looking into what effect plastic particles have in human body cells. what might the long term consequences be for our health and how highest the risk of them causing cancer? the researchers from biology to present their images of the mouse cells to professor of anatomy, sleep, lease paolo's in and ask whether these findings can be applied to humans. you have to look at the potential influence on to my development field and whether it promotes chronic diseases. degenerative change in sanchez romantic conditions by

what degenerative diseases affecting, saying the contents and the muscular skeletal system from our office to the office. and some companies are also on board the general research mission. they how is a major international supplier of polymer base products and is also based in outline chemist, fema archive all is eager to join forces with industry in order to identify and develop solutions, the solutions that from stage one of the manufacturing chain mean looking at how to prevent micro plastics actually being created. playhouse head sustainability as the cnn explains the composition of a new garden house. go to the pleasant surprise of fema. i've got all the confirms that yes, the material can be recycled. but there's

a lot of work to be done. tire where is a major source of micro plastic emissions. a problem that they have is also tackling. it's working on a filter that could be installed in road drainage systems in order to collect the particles resulting from that abrasion here, industry and researchers have the common goal of ensuring that our environment is a healthy one. and this, what i see from my colleagues, my contact all over the road is that everybody has the same opinion. we have to do something with the resources so that unless you to a generations, they have sufficient. i think this is one of the definitions of sustainability also that we should not waste of resources. we should, we should enjoy the business. we don't 65 think the future christian massage is back on the road to look at another exciting new development. he's come to include in bus also nearby white to meet inventor sebastian port,

got his new construction would be deployed, where the professor sees the most obvious need a sewage treatment plant. the machine is specifically designed to filter out micro plastics from the wastewater in the local mayor has also come along and that he would ultimately buy the pilot facility. but 1st is a boss standpoint, a gives the low down on his ingenious, simple sounding invention of the company because he did a code to me in the middle of the night. i woke up at 3 am often having read an article by tuesday and left for reports please, i thought hell, why not give it a try to get hold of me. so the next day i made a sketch of how it might work and just and the way we built it is practically identical to that sketch. sign it up of his idea was for a special kind of hydro cycling machine during the cleaning process. it subjects the water to massive centrifugal forces that push the plastic particles to the inside where they can be separated off initial testing at the treatment plan and

has produced promising results with the majority of the micro plastics being removed from the waste water. close. explain stock and from the test as a to this particular the mayor of gluten by season as an investment in the future of his community. the wondering if it of the business, i think also for put into the bigger plus the gives me goosebumps or micro plastics . are not visible about people are aware of that, but has to be done, but as being totally positive feedback in newspaper opponents about the pond up facility or you saw here this voicemail. i mean, it's a great thing that's good for the environment and the method. you believe this cost it down. yeah, it's a couple of years more a year to the waste, bought a bill and there's not something everyone can afford to keep you the wrong kind of so these treatment plan to at least should soon have no more micro plastics. after cleaning it's wastewater to fit this, not to the super, i love it because our objective was always about finding solutions, not just highlighting all the bad things. so,

and then even though it's the same principle with our special research project, $2.00, instead of focusing on pure research, we also look for answers who's going to be but when it comes to answers, what's the personal feeling of the new filters, inventor. what does realizing and vision feel like? does this get through to some of the how does it can feel like tilting at windmills and on that you're a pioneer? because for high wind up going to get the plastic problem under control of the night, some plastic in our environment is going to remain an issue for centuries for millennia . nice the home that the opposing to pacific. what matters now is finding a way of minimizing the sources of contamination, touchscreen, so many and that's the task that enjoys total commitment from the researchers. and by like university, they face a long road ahead with no end of further experiments in their quest for solutions. the

and always in the mix, the d. j term professor on a mission to make the world a groove your place by making micro plastics, history the, the the

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the, the this is the, the news live from ballot be on the stage as a cool and got ball in central africa bills to president appeals for help. bob crowd celebrate us the military to pose as the leader whose family have been in possible more than half a century. also on the program, ukrainian drones strikes deep inside russian territory. last coast as it was one of the biggest waves of attack.