Plastic pellets known as 'nurdles' are polluting beaches and waterways
SEADRIFT, Texas — Aboard an aluminum skiff or one of her five kayaks, fourth-generation shrimper and fisherwoman Diane Wilson often plies the coastal bays and streams near her tiny hometown of Seadrift, Texas.
But instead of fishing for shrimp, black drum or blue crabs, these days the 77-year-old is an environmental activist looking for “nurdles”— tiny plastic pellets that are polluting beaches and waterways in Texas and around the country.
The minuscule spheres, typically less than 5 millimeters in diameter, are the basic building blocks of nearly all plastic products. But when they are mishandled during manufacturing or transport, they can slip through storm drains and into waterways, posing a health threat to both wildlife and humans. They are difficult to clean up, and act like sponges for toxins as they progress through the food chain.
An estimated 445,970 metric tons of nurdles make their way into oceans annually.
https://washingtonstatestandard.com/2026/01/06/repub/plastic-pellets-known-as-nurdles-are-polluting-beaches-and-waterways/
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