Nurdle

Small particles of plastic, either pellets of raw plastic which are transported in bulk to be used in a variety of manufacturing processes, micro-pellets produced for the cosmetics industry or the worn down particles of discarded plastic products. Either way these grains of plastic are significant polluters of marine environments. Varying in size but usually defined as less than 5mm dia, these particles often resemble food sources such as fish eggs, plankton or algae and as a result they are introduced into the food chain causing illness and death in the animals that ingest them.

Etymology

Uncertain, possibly related to nodule “grain”, “particle”

Example locations

Enlarge map