In 1976, a Norwegian chemical engineer by the name of John Ugelstad sat down in his laboratory and achieved something that had only been accomplished in the controlled, low-gravity environs of space.

A recent spill of bio-beads – small plastic pellets used by some wastewater treatment facilities since the 1990s – has brought renewed attention to a problem that has been quietly accumulating in ...

'Throw me somethin’ mister' has long been a Carnival-time mantra in New Orleans, as parade-goers vie for glinting plastic necklaces tossed from passing floats. But in recent years there’s also been ...

Local people describe devastating impact of millions of toxic beads from Southern Water site near Camber Sands What are bio-beads used for and how did they get spilled on to Camber Sands beach? The ...

Plastic beads have been found on the banks of the River Irwell and at Salford Quays in Greater Manchester A pollution investigation has been launched by the Environment Agency after a "huge quantity" ...

Camber Sands in East Sussex has been polluted by bio-beads (Picture: Sarah Tilotta/Getty Images) Hundreds of thousands of plastic beads have washed up on Camber Sands in East Sussex, causing an ...

Exclusive: Experts urge water companies to update plants to avoid another catastrophe, as analysis reveals scale of use At least 15 sewage plants on England’s south coast use the same contaminated ...

In 2011, Holly Groh and her family stood on a street corner in New Orleans, giddy with anticipation as the Mardi Gras parade approached. Her husband’s family had congregated at that spot every year ...

The government has said it is "appalled" and called for a “thorough investigation” after huge numbers of plastic beads washed up on south coast beaches. Southern Water apologised for the spill, which ...

It's Mardi Gras season in New Orleans, when paradegoers look forward to catching things like beads. Now, often these beads are made of plastic. But plastic beads can be toxic and bad for the ...