What are Nurdles?
A nurdle is a very small plastic pellet which serves as raw material in the manufacture of plastic products. Nurdles are mostly made from synthetic substances, some even derived from petrochemical products that give them high mouldability for the manufacture of familiar plastic products.
In the raw stage (pre-moulded and packaged) they are not toxic to touch, but probably shouldn’t be chewed given the unknown synthetics that make up the pellets. However, once released into the marine environment they have a high attraction to harmful substances such as land-based pesticides, herbicides, other organic pollutants as well as heavy metals that end up in the ocean. At this stage they are very harmful to life and should not be ingested.
Nurdles never disappear or disintegrate, they break down into smaller pieces and are harmful to animals which mistake them for food items. Not only are they toxic, but they cannot be digested, causing digestive blockages, starvation and death.
