Germany, the Netherlands, France and three other countries are calling for binding European Union measures to prevent the release of microplastics, which have been found in the human body, polar sea ice and the deepest ocean trenches.
The tiny plastic particles are used in products including cosmetics, paints and sports pitches, or created unintentionally when bigger pieces of plastic litter break up over time.
The European Chemicals Agency says that in Europe around 42,000 tonnes of intentionally-added microplastics are released into the environment each year, plus an estimated 176,000 tonnes of unintentionally-formed particles. "We call on the Commission to introduce precautionary measures at EU level to prevent and reduce microplastics in the environment," the countries said in the letter.
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