In the Raw

STOMP

The term “microplastic” entered mainstream science after a 2004 *Science* paper, but plastic production has surged to over 9 billion tons since 1950, half of it after 2004. New studies show 43 trillion particles deposited annually on Swiss snow and a 50 % rise in brain microplastic concentrations between 2016 and 2024. Researchers have now identified microplastics in virtually every organ and bodily fluid, linking exposure to chronic disease, fertility decline, and neurodegeneration. Yet fundamental questions about safe exposure levels and differential toxicity remain unresolved.