Rethinking microplastics as a diverse contaminant suite

Microplastics are not microplastics are not microplastics, just like pesticides are not pesticides are not pesticides. “Microplastics,” like other classes of chemical contaminants, is a catch-all term for a variety of unique chemical compounds. Yet, many scientific publications, policy reports, and media articles present microplastics as if they are simply a single compound or type of material. Such simple communications have consequences, leading to simplified studies and protocols that may be inadequate to inform us of the sources and fate of microplastics, as well as their biological and ecological implications. For example, studying the fate and effects of one plastic type with a specific shape and size…