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Nurdles are tiny pre-production plastic pellets (smaller than 5mm) that are universally used in the plastics industry for the manufacture of plastic products. These 
Plastics industry blamed for 'nurdles' found in Christchurch estuary
{{Plastics Plastics industry
Nurdles are tiny pre-production plastic pellets (smaller than 5mm) that are universally used in the plastics industry for the manufacture of plastic products. These microplastics
Microplastics are fragments of any type of plastic less than in length, according to the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and the European Chemicals Agency. They cause pollution by entering natural ecosystems from a v ...
are made primarily from polyethylene
Polyethylene or polythene (abbreviated PE; IUPAC name polyethene or poly(methylene)) is the most commonly produced plastic. It is a polymer, primarily used for packaging ( plastic bags, plastic films, geomembranes and containers including b ...
, polypropylene
Polypropylene (PP), also known as polypropene, is a thermoplastic polymer used in a wide variety of applications. It is produced via chain-growth polymerization from the monomer propylene.
Polypropylene
belongs to the group of polyolefins a ...
, polystyrene, polyvinyl chloride, and other plastics or synthetic resin
Synthetic resins are industrially produced resins, typically viscous substances that convert into rigid polymers by the process of curing. In order to undergo curing, resins typically contain reactive end groups, such as acrylates or epoxides. ...
s. Nurdles are the building block, via plastic extrusion
Plastics extrusion is a high-volume manufacturing process in which raw plastic is melted and formed into a continuous profile. Extrusion produces items such as pipe/tubing, weatherstripping, fencing, deck railings, window frames, plastic film ...
or injection molding, for items for everyday life including plastic water bottles, containers, and bags.
Impact on the environment
These plastics can be seen washing up on shorelines of rivers, beaches, and lakes across the world. The earliest date that nurdles recorded being seen on beaches was around the 1970s but have been recorded as being used earlier around the 1940s and 50s. The pellets find their way into the ocean in a multitude of ways, including accidental spills in transport, and move quickly as they are small enough to be blown around by wind and also float on water. As nurdles stay out in the world they continue to break down and get even smaller than previously recorded.Ecosystems
Nurdles can disrupt many ecosystems, as some birds and fish may confuse these plastic pieces for their food and can end up starving because of how much plastic they have eaten. Nurdles can absorb toxins and other harmful chemicals, known as persistent organic pollutants (POPs), that can be eaten by fish, which can poison them or get caught for human consumption. Biofilms can also form on nurdles that hold pathogens harmful to people.See also
* PelletizingReferences
External links
Plastics industry blamed for 'nurdles' found in Christchurch estuary
{{Plastics Plastics industry