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The Guardian - US
The Guardian - US
Environment
Tom Perkins

PFAS and microplastics become more toxic when combined, research shows

hands adjust a small dish containing debris under a microscope
A researcher examines a sediment sample to identify microplastics at the Moore Institute for Plastic Pollution in Long Beach, California. Photograph: Leonard Ortiz/Orange County Register via Getty Images

Few human-made substances are as individually ubiquitous and dangerous as PFAS and microplastics, and when they join forces there is a synergistic effect that makes them even more toxic and pernicious, new research suggests.

The study’s authors exposed water fleas to mixtures of the toxic substances and found they suffered more severe health effects, including lower birth rates, and developmental problems, such as delayed sexual maturity and stunted growth.

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