“Microplastics” are pieces of plastic that are less than 5mm long. Microplastics can come from larger pieces of plastic that have broken down over and over again. Or, microplastics can be manufactured. For example, pre-production industrial plastic pellets or plastic "micro-scrubbers" in face wash are considered microplastics.

FAQ Taxonomy Term
What is Marine Debris?
ADV Related?
no

For citation purposes, unless otherwise noted, this article was authored by the NOAA Marine Debris Program.

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