Microplastic particles found in European rivers

The video discusses a research project that collected water samples from nine European rivers, finding microplastic particles in all samples. The research was conducted aboard the Tara, a ship that traveled along Europe's coastline for six months. A total of 2700 samples were collected from rivers like the Thames and Rhine. The microplastics found were mostly secondary, formed from larger plastics. These samples will be analyzed in labs over the next 12 to 18 months to understand their composition and origins.

What are secondary microplastics and how are they formed?

What will happen to the collected samples in the next 12 to 18 months?