They may have a cute name, but nurdles could hardly be less adorable. There are billions of them floating in the ocean, a place where they definitely do not belong.
Formally known as “pre-production plastic pellets,” nurdles are tiny beads of synthetic resins or plastics such as polyethylene, polystyrene, polypropylene, or polyvinyl chloride (PVC), among others. Through processes like plastic extrusion or injection molding, these pellets are melted down and turned into an infinite number of plastic products, including bottles, containers, and bags.
As vital raw materials for the plastics industry, nurdles are regularly shipped around the world. However, when they are released as waste or accidentally spilled in transit, the effects can be devastating to the environment. Nurdles are tiny and lightweight (less than a quarter-inch in length, or roughly the size of a lentil), so it’s easy for them to blow away or float on the water.
Once they enter an ecosystem, nurdles degrade into even smaller microplastics. They are frequently eaten by birds and marine creatures that confuse them with food. Because they are indigestible, these animals can suffer potentially fatal digestive blockages or even starve to death if they ingest too many. To make matters worse, nurdles can absorb organic pollutants that can then enter the food chain. They can also develop harmful, pathogen-containing biofilms.
The toxic issues surrounding nurdles are made apparent every time they are released into the environment due to a maritime disaster. One such incident occurred in May 2021, when the X-Press Pearl container ship sank in the Indian Ocean. Over 1,850 tons (87 containers) of nurdles were spilled near Sri Lanka, where they were consumed by countless fish, turtles, dolphins, and other sea creatures. A major regional cleanup operation was required to deal with the billions of nurdles that washed up on beaches, sometimes in a layer several feet deep.
Nothing but nurdles:
- Incredibly, over 250,000 tons of nurdles enter global waterways every year.
- By weight, nurdles are thought to be the second-largest source of microplastics in the oceans, behind only tire dust.
- On a completely different note, the word “nurdle” is also used to describe the stylized swirl of toothpaste on a toothbrush that you’ve seen in commercials.
