Scientists trace microplastics in fertilizer from fields to the beach

First steps in tracing major pollutant source in “missing plastics” problem

Tokyo Metropolitan University

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Fate of microplastics in PCFs. Of polymer-coated fertilizer capsules used in paddies, 77% stay there and only 0.2% are estimated to end up on the beach, leaving 22.8% “missing” plastic waste.

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Credit: Tokyo Metropolitan University

Tokyo, Japan – Researchers from Tokyo Metropolitan University have studied how polymer-coated fertilizer (PCF) applied to fields ends up on beaches and in the sea. They studied PCF deposits on beaches around Japan, finding that only 0.2% of used PCFs are washed into rivers and returned to the coastline. When there are canals connecting fields to the sea, this rises to 28%. Their findings highlight a potentially significant “sink” in the global circulation of plastics.

 

Plastic marine pollution poses a serious threat to wildlife, ecosystems, and human health. It is estimated that around 90% of the plastic that has flowed out to sea has disappeared from the sea surface, accumulated on the sea floor or any number of other “sinks.” To effectively reduce the amount of “missing plastics,” scientists have been studying the complex ways by which plastic material is transported from its point of use to the sea.

Polymer-coated fertilizer (PCF) is a major source of microplastic pollution. Certain fertilizers are coated in a thin layer of plastic to delay the release of chemicals, making it last longer. They are widely used in Japan and China for rice cultivation, as well as for wheat, corn, and other crops in the U.S., U.K., and Western Europe. In fact, it has been shown that 50-90% of plastic debris found on beaches in Japan is derived from PCFs. Yet, the way in which PCFs are carried from land to sea, and how that affects its eventual disappearance, is not well understood.

A team of researchers from Tokyo Metropolitan University, led by Professor Masayuki Kawahigashi and Dr. Dolgormaa Munkhbat, surveyed the amount of PCFs ending up on beaches across different environments. They focused on beaches near river mouths and direct drainage points from agricultural fields to the sea, surveying 147 plots across 17 beaches. Near river mouths, they estimated that the PCFs found on beaches there amount to less than 0.2% of what was used in surrounding areas. With 77% staying on fields, the remaining 22.8% wash out to sea. On the other hand, surveys around direct drainage points from agricultural land to the sea showed that 28% end up back on the beach. The team concluded that waves and tidal action help them wash back onto land, making beaches a temporary sink for microplastics. Given that most PCFs lost from fields end up in rivers, the majority of these plastic capsules end up going “missing.”

The team also noticed that many of the PCF microplastics they found showed significant reddening and browning. Analysis with Energy-Dispersive X-ray Spectroscopy (EDX) revealed newly added particles of iron and aluminum oxide, which may be weighing the capsules down, making them less likely to wash back to shore. While many challenges remain in understanding the complex transport of a major pollutant, the team’s survey is a key first step in tracing how PCFs contribute to the global challenge of missing plastics.

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Journal

Marine Pollution Bulletin

DOI

10.1016/j.marpolbul.2025.119086 

Article Title

A first approach to estimate the leakage of polymer-coated fertilizer-derived microplastics from paddy fields to beaches

 

When aging affects the young: Revealing the weight of caregiving on teenagers

COVID era survey explores care burdens young carers face

Osaka Metropolitan University

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Surveys during and after COVID-19 shed light on young caregivers and the impact on their well-being.

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Credit: Osaka Metropolitan University

Caregiving in the modern era is challenging for even the most prepared adults. So, what happens when this burden falls on children?

As Japan's population ages, the number of children and young people responsible for caregiving is increasing. However, the impact of this on their health and daily lives remains not well understood.

To gain better insight, Professor Bing Niu and Dr. Ziyan Wang from Osaka Metropolitan University’s Graduate School of Economics conducted two rounds of surveys, one in 2021 during the COVID-19 pandemic and another in 2024 after the pandemic. The surveys targeted 1,581 young carers aged 15 to 19 across Japan to clarify how caregiving burdens affect the psychology and emotions of young carers.

The survey incorporated the Kessler 6-Item Psychological Distress Scale and the Positive and Negative Outcomes of Caring questionnaire as indicators to measure the degree of psychological stress and subjective responses, such as feelings and thoughts, toward caregiving. It then analyzed the actual state of the caregiving burden and its impact on carers' psychological and emotional well-being.

Results revealed that young carers with greater care responsibilities tend to experience higher stress levels, with approximately 20% of young carers in our surveys falling into the high-risk group. However, they also possesspositive emotions, such as a sense of accomplishment and pride. In particular, the 2024 survey revealed that both positive and negative emotions stemming from caregiving experience were more pronounced than in 2021.

“Both positive and negative emotions were strongly expressed in the 2024 survey, which suggests that even as the burden of care persists, societal understanding and support for young carers have grown, and they themselves have begun to embrace their roles more positively,” Dr. Wang stated. Professor Niu concluded, “It is suggested that while both positive and negative aspects exist in the caregiving experiences of young caregivers, it is crucial to develop support tailored to each individual's specific circumstances.”

The findings were published in Scientific Reports.

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About OMU

Established in Osaka as one of the largest public universities in Japan, Osaka Metropolitan University is committed to shaping the future of society through the “Convergence of Knowledge” and the promotion of world-class research. For more research news, visit https://www.omu.ac.jp/en/ and follow us on social media: X, Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn.

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Journal

Scientific Reports

DOI

10.1038/s41598-025-22652-5 

Method of Research

Survey

Subject of Research

People

Article Title

Care burden and outcomes in young carers during and after the COVID‑19 pandemic: psychological distress and cognitive–emotional aspects

 

Can Canada’s health systems handle increased demand during FIFA World Cup?

Current health system already at, or above, capacity

Canadian Medical Association Journal

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Excitement is building for FIFA World Cup soccer games in Toronto and Vancouver in June and July, yet Canada’s overburdened health systems may buckle with any additional demand, cautions an editorial published in CMAJ (Canadian Medical Association Journal) https://www.cmaj.ca/lookup/doi/10.1503/cmaj.252094.

“Canada is increasingly vulnerable to events that may result in a surge in health care utilization, including climate emergencies, mass gathering events, infectious diseases outbreaks, and global defence escalations,” writes Dr. Catherine Varner, an emergency medicine physician in Toronto and Deputy Editor, CMAJ.  

World Cup organizers are planning for a range of scenarios with the help of local and provincial health and emergency authorities, but can they plan for increased volumes in health systems already stressed and over capacity with current patient loads?

Dr. Varner, an emergency physician who worked during Games 1 and 7 of the 2025 MLB World Series, has direct experience with how stretched health care capacity is in Toronto. She calls for urgent action on a national plan to bolster health systems to meet potential needs from large-scale events like the World Cup and others.

“A coherent, feasible, actionable, and national plan is urgently needed to increase hospital beds and train the required personnel such that quality of care can be maintained,” she writes.

This year’s flu season has placed exceptional burden on hospitals, patients, and health care providers, with emergency departments across Canada facing huge patient volumes and long wait times for care.

“Health care providers in Canada are accustomed to flexing and triaging acute care and public health resources,” Dr. Varner writes. “Being in a constant state of surge capacity is actually the norm. However, even when anticipated surges occur, bedside experiences and provincial quality metrics suggest that systems cannot absorb more load when they are already operating at or above capacity without compromising the quality and safety of patient care.”

A potential solution would be for hospitals near the World Cup sites in the two cities to increase staffing to cope with higher demand for health services, but Dr. Varner cautions that “increasing staff, even for the duration of these events, is likely not feasible since Canadian hospitals and public health systems already face health human resource challenges and budget shortfalls in these years following the COVID-19 pandemic, a problem that has been widely recognized in other important spheres of governance.”

Recent reports have identified health care system capacity and health care personnel as major weaknesses in Canadian sovereignty and defence, a priority area for the government under Prime Minister Mark Carney. Scenario planning for a large-scale war in Europe made it clear that Canada’s health care systems would struggle to function if health care personnel were sent overseas or wounded soldiers returned to Canada for care.

“With the recent commitment to increase defence spending in the 2025 federal budget, increasing acute care capacity should be prioritized as part of Canada’s emergency preparedness systems to support national defence and security purposes.”

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Journal

Canadian Medical Association Journal

DOI

10.1503/cmaj.252094 

Method of Research

Commentary/editorial

Subject of Research

People

Article Title

Mass gathering events underscore serious vulnerabilities in health care capacity in Canada

Article Publication Date

19-Jan-2026

National poll: Less than half of parents say swearing is never OK for kids

Friends and classmates, not parents, cited as the top source of swear words

Michigan Medicine - University of Michigan

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Parents report different strategies to address their children's swearing, poll suggests.

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Credit: Sara Schultz, Michigan Medicine

ANN ARBOR, Mich. – Today’s parents may be growing more relaxed about their children using curse words, according to a national poll.

Only about half of parents say children should never swear, even as many acknowledge that their own kids sometimes do, according to the University of Michigan Health C.S. Mott Children’s Hospital National Poll on Children’s Health.

Meanwhile, more than a third of parents say whether it’s acceptable depends on the situation, while fewer say it depends on the specific word being used or that swearing is not a big deal.

At the same time, one in four parents say their child uses curse words at least occasionally, including nearly four in 10 parents of teens.

“Parents are navigating a gray area when it comes to language,” said Mott Poll Co-Director Sarah Clark, M.D.H. “Many don’t love hearing these words, but they also recognize that context, age and intent matter.”

The nationally representative report is based on responses from 1,678 parents with at least one child ages 6–17, surveyed in August 2025.

Peers play a major role

When asked where children learn profanity, two in three parents pointed to friends or classmates, making peers the most commonly cited source.

Popular media followed closely, while many parents also acknowledged that children hear adult language at home, including from parents themselves.

About one in three parents believe their child swears to fit in, highlighting the role of social pressure, particularly during adolescence.

Parents of teens were more likely to say the behavior is about fitting in, while parents of younger children more often attributed it to trying to be funny or to get attention.

Some children may also use strong language to express negative emotions, Clark says, which may signal a need for help naming and managing anger or frustration in more appropriate ways.

“Swearing can be a form of social currency for kids,” Clark said. “For some, it’s about belonging. For others, it’s about getting a reaction. Understanding the ‘why’ can help parents respond more effectively.”

Parents set rules but enforcement varies

Parents who object to children using curse words likely have a variety of reasons, Clark notes. Some view it through a religious lens, believing certain words conflict with their beliefs.

Others see it as a manners issue, she says, worrying that harsh language is rude or disrespectful. For these parents, context matters: such language might be off-limits at school or in public, for example, but less of a concern when kids are with friends.

Most parents say they feel responsible for their child’s word choices, yet responses vary widely. When their child swears, parents most often say they tell them to stop or explain why they dislike it. Fewer say they ignore it, and only a small number rely on punishment.

Parents of teens are more likely than parents of younger children to ignore it altogether.

“It can be challenging for parents to maintain a consistent approach to swearing,” Clark said. “Parents should sort through their own attitudes to determine which words and situations will merit a response. Young children may not realize certain terms are inappropriate, so parents may need to explain meaning, context or social impact to build understanding and empathy.”

To limit exposure, parents report watching their own language, restricting certain media and asking others to respect household rules.

About one in five parents also discourage friendships with children who frequently swear, suggesting concerns that go beyond language alone.

“These findings show that swearing isn’t just a discipline issue,” Clark said. “It’s tied to peer relationships, family norms and how parents want to guide behavior without overreacting.”