EnviroNews

Imagine tiny lentil-sized beads of plastic piling up on beaches, floating in rivers, drifting in the sea, and entering the food chain. These innocuous little pellets – known as "nurdles" – are the raw material of nearly all plastic products. Yet, as they escape into the environment, they are emerging as one of the most pervasive and persistent types of pollution on the planet.

In addition to this article, check out EarthSpotter's YouTube video: Microplastics at the Source: Exposing the Global Nurdle Problem. The video shows these nurdles up close, talks to an expert on plastic nurdles, and dives into a lagoon to do some nurdle science.

What are nurdles?

Nurdles are pre-production plastic pellets, typically under 5 mm in diameter, used as the building blocks for everything from plastic bottles and bags to toys and industrial parts. They are manufactured in enormous quantities and shipped, stored, handled and melted down to create consumer- and industrial-grade plastics. But when they are spilled, lost, or mismanaged along the supply chain, they become a major source of microplastic pollution.

Because of their small size, lightweight nature, and buoyancy, nurdles are easily transported by wind and water, find their way into drainage systems, rivers and oceans—and once they are in the environment, they are extremely difficult to recover or clean up.

Photograph by Chris Sparkes

Scale of the problem

Nurdles are the second largest source of primary microplastic pollution globally. Hundreds of thousands of tons of these pellets enter the environment each year.

The scale is staggering when one considers how many plastic products are made globally. Every time one of these small pellets is lost, the plastic it was destined to become becomes an environmental hazard before it even leaves the factory gate.

Moreover, major spill events make headlines: for example, a container ship off Sri Lanka released 1,680 tonnes of nurdles in 2021, one of the largest such known events. And more recently, the spill of a ship off the coast of Kerala, India, dumped tens of thousands of sacks of nurdles onto the coast—and these nurdles continually wash ashore and wreck havoc on the receiving ecosystem.

Why are nurdles so problematic?

1. They are easy to lose and hard to clean

Because nurdles are small, light, and can be buoyant, they are highly mobile. They can escape during manufacturing, transport, storage and handling—and once they enter the environment, they disperse widely and become impossible to fully recover. Indeed, recovery efforts are manual labor intensive. Thus, even when clean up efforts recover nurdles, it's not without an abundance of labor and time.

2. They enter food chains and ecosystems

Wildlife often mistake these small pellets for food. On beaches, in rivers and in the open sea, birds, fish and marine animals ingest them. The ingestion can lead to false satiation (animals feel full but haven't eaten nutrients), blocked digestive tracts, starvation, organ damage, and death.

Nurdles also act as sponges for toxic chemicals. They are made from petroleum-based plastics and are often treated with additives (flame retardants, plasticizers, etc). In the marine environment, they attract and absorb persistent organic pollutants (POPs) and heavy metals—effectively ferrying a cocktail of toxins into the tissues of animals that ingest them.

3. They persist for decades

Unlike biodegradable waste, these plastics don't disappear. Instead, they fragment into smaller and smaller pieces—and become more ubiquitous. Microplastics in the size range of 1 µm to 5 mm are now found around the world, from shores to deep sea trenches. Once in the environment, nurdles and their fragments remain for long periods, making the pollution effectively permanent without intervention.

Pathways and supply chain leakage

Where do these pellets leak from?

• At manufacturing sites: Pellets can be spilled during production, handling, or transfer of the plastic pellets to plastic facilities.
• During transport: Bulk shipments of pellets may leak during container loading/unloading, shipboard accidents, or poor packaging.
• Through packaging and storage: Bags of pellets being transported by ship or truck may split or blow open when loading and unloading, especially in windy conditions.

Once they escape, their mobility allows them to travel via drains, streams, rivers, to coastlines, and then disperse into the ocean. The global plastic supply chain means that nurdles manufactured in one country may end up littering beaches in another thousands of kilometers away.

An illustrative case: The Kerala spill

Recently, in May 2025, a ship capsized off the coast of Kerala, India, which led to the release of 71,500 sacks of nurdles into the Arabian Sea. Over the next few months, especially after a monsoon, millions of these lentil-sized pellets washed ashore, devastating marine life and handicapping local fishing communities. Nurdles are not individually classified as hazardous substances under many legal frameworks, making regulatory enforcement difficult and leading to weaker containment in transport. Strengthening the transportation procedures and requirements regulating plastic nurdles would prevent these spills as they would be required to transport the materials in air tight containers.

Possible solutions and their challenges

Prevention at source

The core motto is: stop nurdle loss before it happens. This means better controls in manufacturing, shipping, and storage. Some strategies:

• Use of closed-systems in manufacturing so pellets cannot escape.
• Better packaging and containment during transport (sealed containers, double-bagging, stricter handling of spills).
• Industry adoption of "zero pellet loss" targets (some companies already commit to this).
• Regular audits and risk assessments along the supply chain.

Regulation and accountability

Strong regulatory frameworks could help by imposing legal obligations on manufacturers and shippers. For example:

• Mandatory reporting of pellet loss incidents.
• Making nurdle spill events subject to environmental liability.
• International shipping conventions recognizing pellet loss as a form of pollution and imposing penalties.

Circular economy and raw materials innovation

Long-term, reducing dependence on virgin fossil-fuel-based plastics is part of the solution. Potential shifts include:

• Bioplastic sources and alternative resins that may break down more safely.
• Design for recyclability, so less virgin raw-pellet production is needed.
• Closed-loop manufacturing so that pellets are reused rather than disposed or lost.

Human and ecological impact

Beyond numbers and logistics, the impacts are real:

Wildlife

Seabirds, sea turtles, fish and invertebrates ingest pellets, mistaking them for food. Some pellets have been found in the stomachs of birds and marine animals.

Because nurdles absorb pollutants, animals consuming them may ingest a "cocktail" of toxins, with potential reproductive, metabolic, and cellular effects.

Ecosystems

On beaches, accumulated nurdles may change physical properties of sand and coastal sediment, affecting nesting sites for turtles or invertebrates.

In the sea, the widespread dispersal means even remote ecosystems are not safe from plastic pellet intrusion.

Photograph by Chris Sparkes

Human health and livelihoods

When plastics contaminated with toxic chemicals enter the marine food chain, they may ultimately affect humans who eat fish and shellfish. Microplastics have been found in human blood, placenta and bone marrow.

The full human health effect remains uncertain, but the trend is worrying.

How EarthSpotter Fights Pollution

The tiny lentil-sized nurdle may seem insignificant. Yet as the upstream raw material of the plastics age, it embodies a vast, overlooked pollution problem. From manufacturing plants to shipping containers, from beaches in Kerala to the open oceans, these pellets travel, persist, and entangle themselves in natural systems, wildlife bodies and human lives.

For more on plastic nurdles, check out EarthSpotter's YouTube video: Microplastics at the Source: Exposing the Global Nurdle Problem

Recognizing the lack of enforcement and public awareness around storm water pollution, EarthSpotter was created as an environmental journalism platform focused on educating the public and holding companies accountable for environmental harm. EarthSpotter works through three main mechanisms:

1. Environmental journalism: EarthSpotter investigates pollution sources and publishes articles on how these pollutants harm ecosystems. The platform also educates the public on simple ways to protect the environment, from sustainable shopping to improving backyard ecosystems.
2. Public access to data: EarthSpotter provides the public with access to data on companies in their area and the types of pollutants being discharged. This allows for greater transparency and encourages informed decisions about where to spend money and how to hold polluters accountable.
3. Reporting environmental threats: The platform enables the public to report all kinds of environmental threats, from air pollution to poor storm water management practices. Your report may be used to hold polluters accountable through legal action.

A Call to Action

Plastic pollution is a threat to our ecosystems, and it's one that we all have the power to help prevent. Whether through small actions like reporting pollution when you see it or supporting platforms like EarthSpotter, every step counts.

Currently, EarthSpotter's attorneys can review all types of pollution reported. As EarthSpotter grows, the platform aims to expand its data transparency and journalism beyond storm water to address other environmental threats like air pollution, land use, climate change, and more.

If we all take responsibility for protecting our environment, we can reduce pollution and safeguard ecosystems for future generations. Remember, the best solution to pollution is prevention—before it's too late.

Have you ever wondered why authorities advise against swimming in the ocean after it rains? The reason is simple but alarming—rainwater, also known as storm water, collects significant amounts of pollutants as it travels across streets and industrial sites. These pollutants are eventually carried into rivers, lakes, wetlands, and oceans, creating one of the most persistent threats to our aquatic ecosystems. This same storm water impacts your ability to enjoy the ocean or other aquatic ecosystems after rain, and can lead to ongoing beach closures.

What is Storm Water and Why Is It Harmful?

Storm water refers to the water that runs off surfaces like streets, parking lots, and industrial facilities when it rains. Instead of being absorbed into the ground, this water flows over impermeable surfaces, picking up contaminants along the way. While storm water is a natural process, the problem lies in the human activities that turn it into a toxic brew.

The pollutants in storm water come from various sources, such as construction sites, manufacturing facilities, and scrap waste companies. Through industrial activity, chemicals, heavy metals, nutrients, and even microplastics—are washed away during rainfall and end up in storm drains. These drains carry the polluted water directly into nearby water bodies, often with little to no treatment. This contaminated storm water has disastrous consequences for aquatic ecosystems, wildlife, and even human health.

For these reasons, storm water pollution significantly impacts your ability to swim in the ocean because these pollutants it carries can make the water unsafe for human contact. Authorities often issue beach closures or advisories after rainstorms to protect public health, as swimming in contaminated water can pose serious dangers. Additionally, the toxins from pesticides, heavy metals, and chemicals can harm marine life, disrupt ecosystems, and further degrade water quality, compounding the risks to both wildlife and human beachgoers.

Common Pollutants in Storm Water

Storm water pollution is made up of various harmful substances. Some of the most common include:

• Heavy metals: From industrial sites, metals like lead, copper, and zinc are toxic to aquatic organisms. Once in the water, these metals can disrupt the reproductive systems of fish, kill microorganisms, and even end up in the human food chain through fish consumption.
• Nutrients: Nitrogen and phosphorus are common in fertilizers used on farms and can even be found in metal industries. For example, copper and nickel plating often uses phosphorus as part of the plating process. When these nutrients enter water bodies, they promote algae growth, leading to harmful algal blooms that deplete oxygen levels, suffocating fish and other aquatic life.
• Chemicals: Hazardous chemicals often accompany industrial activities. When not stored properly, these chemicals poison wildlife and contaminate drinking water sources.
• Microplastics: Tiny plastic particles from degraded plastic products make their way into oceans and rivers. These microplastics are ingested by marine animals, ultimately entering the food chain.

These pollutants may seem minor on their own, but their cumulative effects can devastate ecosystems over time. One rainstorm can carry massive amounts of these substances from urban areas into sensitive environments. When you swim in the ocean or other waterbody, you are also exposed to these pollutants. While the highest concentration is right after a storm, many pollutants persist in the water and do not break down.

How Storm Water Pollutes Ecosystems

The journey of storm water pollution begins with rain hitting the ground. For example, imagine a manufacturing company producing metal railings. Though it may not appear hazardous, the process of cutting and welding steel and aluminum produces fine metal dust that settles on the ground. When it rains, storm water picks up these metal particulates and carries them to storm drains, which feed into nearby rivers, lakes, or oceans.

Once pollutants like metals enter a waterbody, they have a cascading effect on the ecosystem. Metal contaminants can kill small organisms like plankton, which serve as a critical food source for fish. As fish consume contaminated organisms, the pollutants accumulate in their tissues. Larger animals, including humans, can then be exposed to these toxins when they eat contaminated fish.

The situation worsens as pollutants spread throughout the food chain, leading to long-term damage that is difficult to reverse. Even small actions, like not sweeping up debris or improperly storing materials, can have severe consequences for nearby ecosystems.

For example, something as simple as laying a tarp over exposed materials or regularly cleaning up debris at a facility could prevent storm water pollution from occurring in the first place. Once pollutants have entered the water, removing them is almost impossible, making prevention the most effective solution.

The Clean Water Act and Its Gaps

The Clean Water Act (CWA) is the primary federal law governing water pollution in the United States. The Act aims to prevent pollutants from entering waters through industrial discharges, including storm water. However, enforcement of the CWA is inconsistent and often ineffective. The law requires companies likely to cause pollution to implement specific best management practices (BMPs) to prevent storm water contamination. Yet, many companies fail to follow through with these practices, and there is minimal oversight to ensure compliance. The CWA also requires companies to sample their storm water runoff to measure pollution levels. In reality, many companies either do not collect these samples or do so improperly. For example, many companies do not analyze their storm water for all pollutants that are found on their property. With limited regulatory resources and thousands of companies potentially violating the law, storm water pollution often goes unchecked.

There are thousands of businesses subject to these storm water regulations. Despite the sheer volume of potential polluters, local authorities lack the capacity to inspect and enforce compliance with the CWA effectively. The result is a persistent flow of pollutants into rivers, lakes, and oceans, threatening ecosystems and human health.

There are countless real-world examples of storm water pollution in action. In one instance, storm water runoff from a metal manufacturing company was entirely red from iron contamination. The company could have easily prevented this by simply covering their materials and raising them off the ground. Such small measures would have greatly reduced the amount of iron entering the storm drains. In another example, a concrete facility's storm water runoff was dark brown, clouded by contaminated sediment washing off its property. A sample of this runoff revealed a dangerous mix of heavy metals, sediment, and excessive nutrients—all of which wreak havoc on nearby ecosystems. The heavy metals poison aquatic life, while the surplus nutrients fuel harmful algal blooms that deplete oxygen levels in the water, suffocating fish and other wildlife. Sediment, often overlooked, can cloud water and smother habitats, making it difficult for aquatic plants and animals to survive.

Image: Displays brown murky water exiting a concrete facility.

Once pollutants enter storm water, they are almost impossible to remove. This is why prevention is so crucial. Small actions taken by companies, like sweeping up debris or covering materials, can make a significant difference in protecting water quality and ecosystems.

How EarthSpotter Fights Pollution

Recognizing the lack of enforcement and public awareness around storm water pollution, EarthSpotter was created as an environmental journalism platform focused on educating the public and holding companies accountable for environmental harm. EarthSpotter works through three main mechanisms:

1. Environmental journalism: EarthSpotter investigates pollution sources and publishes articles on how these pollutants harm ecosystems. The platform also educates the public on simple ways to protect the environment, from sustainable shopping to improving backyard ecosystems.
2. Public access to data: EarthSpotter provides the public with access to data on companies in their area and the types of pollutants being discharged. This allows for greater transparency and encourages informed decisions about where to spend money and how to hold polluters accountable.
3. Reporting environmental threats: The platform enables the public to report all kinds of environmental threats, from air pollution to poor storm water management practices. Your report may be used to hold polluters accountable through legal action.

A Call to Action

Storm water pollution is a silent but deadly threat to our ecosystems, and it's one that we all have the power to help prevent. Whether through small actions like reporting pollution when you see it or supporting platforms like EarthSpotter, every step counts.

Currently, EarthSpotter's attorneys can review all types of pollution reported. As EarthSpotter grows, the platform aims to expand its data transparency and journalism beyond storm water to address other environmental threats like air pollution, land use, climate change, and more.

If we all take responsibility for protecting our environment, we can reduce pollution and safeguard ecosystems for future generations. Remember, the best solution to pollution is prevention—before it's too late.