Mermaids’ tears, an environmental nightmare. The plastic pellets, often mistaken for food by seabirds, fish and other wildlife. In the environment, they fragment into nanoparticles whose hazards are more complex. They are the second-largest source of micropollutants in the ocean, by weight, after tyre dust. 230,000 Tonnes of nurdles end up in oceans every year. France announced to take legal action over a spill, but against who?