Microplastics-fragments of plastics that are smaller than 5 millimeters in diameter-can be as damaging to marine life as larger debris floating in the oceans, such as plastic bags or fishing nets, a report published April 27 by a United Nations-advisory body said. "Even tiny particles, such as those used in cosmetic products or abrasives, could potentially harm marine life if ingested," Stefan Micallef, the administrative secretary of the Joint Group of Experts on the Scientific Aspects of Marine Environmental Protection (GE-SAMP), said in a statement announcing the report. "We need to work globally to ensure that plastics do not end up in the oceans," he said. The report, which describes itself as the "first attempt, at a global scale, to identify the main sources, fate and effects of microplastics in the ocean" ends five years of research since GESAMP was informed of the potential problem, the UN body said.
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