Microplastics, like the ones pictured here, have been linked to several health concerns. Researchers from Boston University identified another downside to microplastics -- bacteria exposed to them can become resistant to several types of antibiotics. gradt - stock.adobe.com

Microplastics—tiny shards of plastic debris—are all over the planet. They have made their way up food chains, accumulated in oceans, clustered in clouds and on mountains, and been found inside human bodies at alarming rates.