As more shoppers aren’t spending as much time or money in traditional big chain retailers, the future of shopping malls is in question. Locally, Birchwood Mall has found a way to give small businesses a big focus.

“Microplastics, because of their size, can easily get into the human body,” warns Assistant Professor Rodrigo Fernandez-Valdivia, from the Wayne State University School of Medicine. He explains that microplastics themselves have been found to contain chemical substances that act as endocrine disruptors — disrupting hormone systems in both humans and animals.