Sharon Oosthoek | Science News for Students

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Sharon Oosthoek

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worm in dirt

Earthworms help keep soil healthy. They digest plant matter, leaving nutrients for the soil. But in a new study, soil microplastics hurt worm growth and stunted plants.

Dan Brekke, Flickr (CC-BY-NC 2.0)

 Pollution
Earthworms lose weight in soils polluted with microplastics
Plants were stunted, too, as scrawnier worms may offer fewer benefits to them and their soil
a photo of a baby salamander trapped in a pitcher plant

Once trapped, baby salamanders rarely escape the northern pitcher plant. The inside of the plant’s leaves has a slippery coating that makes it hard for the amphibians to climb out.

Patrick D. Moldowan

 Plants
Meat-eating pitcher plants feast on baby salamanders
Once trapped in the plants, the young amphibians can take more than two weeks to die
a picture of a baby mannequin wearing a premie vest

A baby mannequin wears an invention designed to help sick babies breathe. Called NeoVest, it does away with the traditional mask and breathing tubes that get in the way of a baby feeding and bonding with its parents.  

St. Michael’s Hospital

 Health
Tiny vest could help sick babies breathe easier
It works by gently pulling on the baby’s belly to draw air into the lungs
a woman drinking water from a plastic water bottle

Bottled water can be a source of microplastics.

AntionioGuillem/iStock/Getty Images Plus

 Toxicology
Americans consume some 70,000 microplastic particles a year
Estimating how much plastic we eat, drink and breathe will help determine health risks
a photo of a suburban road lined with trashcans and trees

Many cities plant trees to absorb CO2 and stop temperatures from rising to dangerous levels. But a new study shows city trees grow faster and die younger than forest trees. That means city trees will absorb less CO2.

mastersky/iStock/Getty Images Plus

 Environment
City living makes trees grow fast but die young
Urban trees may not remove as much carbon dioxide, a greenhouse gas, as rural trees
a photo of Steve Perlman rappeling down a verdant cliff over turquoise waters

Steve Perlman rappels down a cliff in the Wailau Valley on the Hawaiian island of Molokai. He is a botanist who has spent the last 45 years searching for, and protecting, rare plants

Hank Oppenheimer

 Plants
Rare-plant hunters race against time to save at-risk species
Scientists rappel down cliffs and trek through forests to collect plants and seeds