"Uncovering the Impact of Buried Microplastics on Defining the Anthropocene"

The presence of microplastics in lake sediments, often used to determine the onset of the Anthropocene, is proving to be an unreliable marker as researchers have found that plastic particles can infiltrate deep into older sediments, muddying the ability to accurately date the start of the geological age marking human impact on the environment. The study, published in Science Advances, revealed that microplastics, including biodegradable plastics, have migrated into sediments dating back more than 200 years, challenging the use of microplastics as precise markers for defining the Anthropocene.