New Delhi, April 22 -- Researchers have discovered microplastics embedded in the larval casings of caddisflies, indicating that environmental contamination by plastic particles stretches back over half a century.

Caddisflies, moth-like insects of the order Trichoptera, are common across the world and inhabit freshwater ecosystems such as lakes, rivers and streams. During their aquatic larval stage, they build portable protective cases from natural materials like sand grains, small stones, bark, leaf litter and other organic debris.

But a recent study, published in the journal Science of The Total Environment, has revealed that in anthropocene, these insects have also been incorporating microplastics into their cases - an alarming sign o...