Microplastics are a well-known and frequently studied environmental contaminant often associated with ocean plastic.
However, their reach is unfortunately much wider, as new research centering on an "internationally important" chalk stream in England has evidenced, the BBC reported.
Although microplastics likely entered our environment when the first pieces of landfilled and discarded plastic began to degrade, we weren't always aware of their presence.
British marine biologist Richard Thompson coined the term in 2004 in what would become an influential study. Once the contaminant was named, researchers began finding microplastics everywhere.
The River Itchen in southern England is a chalk stream; of roughly 210 worldwide, 160 are in England. Chalk streams are a prized natural feature, characterized by exceptionally clean, mineral-rich water that supports a diverse array of aquatic flora and fauna.
On Monday, researchers at the University of Brighton issued a press release about their microplastic pollution findings.
Enlisting citizen scientists with the Upper Itchen Restoration Community Interest Company, the team analyzed water samples from the Itchen and was dismayed to find microplastics at every site sampled.
"Chalk streams like the Itchen are unique and often compared to rainforests for their biodiversity," said Dr. Corina Ciocan, who led the research and was perceptibly worried, per the Brighton press release.
"It points toward a constant contamination ... that is ongoing every single day," Ciocan explained of the Itchen's continuously flowing waters, per the BBC. "I'm used to finding those particles in estuaries and in the ocean. I point the finger toward poor boatyard practices or abandoned boats."
Ciocan is a marine biologist who specializes in ecotoxicology -- which makes her palpable alarm at the findings more unsettling.
"In a chalk river, that's a little bit scary and a little bit of an unknown. We need to dig a little bit and see where those [microplastic particles] are coming from," she added, per the BBC.
As Ciocan indicated, recently detected microplastic levels in the pristine Itchen raised "urgent questions about the health of one of England's most important freshwater ecosystems."
Although microplastics were only formally identified two decades ago, research into their impact on human health, wildlife, and the environment has been ongoing since then.
What we've learned about microplastics and human health indicates a diverse number of adverse outcomes. Microplastics have been linked to severe health issues in humans and wildlife, cardiovascular problems, cognitive issues, reproductive impacts, and cancer among them.
Ian Diver, director of the UIR CIC, was clear-eyed about tackling microplastics in the Itchen.
He emphasized that "there is hope" and noted that simple acts such as using less plastic make a big difference.
"We can all make small changes -- from reducing fast fashion and washing our clothes less often, to buying food not wrapped in plastic -- adding up to a big difference if we all act together," Diver said, per the Brighton press release.