Who knew? Much has been written about the Great Garbage Patch in the Pacific Ocean, where a Texas-size swill of plastic bags, bottles, wrappers and other debris floats. Now, scientists are finding that home washing machines seem to be a major source of "microplastic" ocean pollution.
Bits of polyester and acrylic smaller than the head of a pin are likely rinsing off garments during the wash cycle and ending up on shorelines, according to a study published this month in the American Chemical Society's Environmental Science & Technology.
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