A group of scientists is one step closer to understanding how dangerous microplastics move in the environment, and it could help them one day solve a growing crisis.

What's happening?

A Stanford University team is creating "a microplastic transport model" to explain how the minuscule pieces disperse and where they end up in the ocean, ABC7 Bay Area reported.

Since microplastics are bits of degraded plastic smaller than five millimeters, they are difficult to track. But they are not as dense as seawater, so it's curious that most do not remain on the surface of the ocean. Instead, they cling to debris and microbes, falling to the seabed like they're riding an elevator. The study was published in Limnology and Oceanography in February.

"As a scientific community, we know that microplastics are everywhere, but we don't exactly know how they get everywhere or where they come from. And if we're going to do anything to mitigate this problem, that's a really important question that we need answered," Matthew Savoca of the school's Hopkins Marine Station said.

Why is this important?

Blue, fin, and humpback whales off the California coast ingest 10 million plastic particles every day, according to Stanford Report. The microplastics migrate from their digestive systems to fat and liver tissue — just like they do in humans, as the tiny fragments have been found in reproductive organs, the brain, and more.

While the health risks are just beginning to be understood, they include cancer, neurological problems, and immune system dysfunction.

The researchers hope their detection and measurement innovations will lead to monitoring breakthroughs and to correlating exposure with health data, the university noted.

What's being done about microplastics?

Stanford's Doerr School of Sustainability is not alone in the endeavor, with the Moore Institute for Plastic Pollution Research, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, and others collaborating on the project. The work is funded by the California Ocean Protection Council and California Sea Grant, and volunteers also assist.

"We're adding all these different skills together to study microplastics along the Central California region," Savoca said. "We have so many people wanting to help with this issue. That's been really inspiring."

As he told ABC7, avoiding water from single-use plastic bottles is a good place for individuals to start. You can also use canvas bags at the grocery store and bring your own to-go containers to restaurants to cut down on your consumption of plastic, which reduces how much of it ends up in landfills, the environment, and our bodies.

"On a personal level, these changes make a difference," Amelia Meyer of the school's Plastics and Health Working Group told Stanford Report. "But it's also important to remember that microplastics are a systemic problem. The real solution lies in pushing for better regulations, safer materials, and less plastic pollution overall."

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