Study: Tons of plastic debris float on the world's oceans, but less than expected

Such ocean pollution has drawn attention in recent years because of its potential harm to fish and other wildlife. Researchers estimated the total amount of floating plastic debris in open ocean at 7,000 to 35,000 tons. Andres Cozar of the University of Cadiz in Spain, an author of the study, said that's a lot less than the 1 million tons he had extrapolated from data reaching back to the 1970s. Some floating pieces start out small, like the microbeads found in some toothpastes and cosmetics or industrial pellets used to make plastic products.

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