Microplastics are turning up everywhere, including our water, our food, and even our bodies. And the Great Lakes are no exception.
Ripples of Plastic is a documentary from Ohio filmmakers Chris Langer and Josh Heese that investigates how plastic pollution is making its way into the largest freshwater system in the world.
Great Lakes Now
https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2025/06/how-much-plastic-is-in-the-great-lakes/
By Zaria Johnson, Ideastream Public Media
This story was originally published by Ideastream.
Case Western Reserve University is set to install filters to washing machines across campus to reduce microplastic pollution during the laundry cycle.
Microplastics can be found virtually anywhere, and studies have found that wastewater from washing machines is a primary source.
Great Lakes Now
https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2025/06/case-western-reserve-university-alumni-roll-out-microplastic-filtration-system-for-washing-machines/
Shortly after Chelsea Rochman moved to Toronto to start her current faculty job at University of Toronto, she began working with the Government of Canada to sample microplastics in fish from Lake Ontario. What she found, she said, shocked her. They found microplastics in every single fish they tested. Every single fish.
Great Lakes Now
https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2025/05/everything-to-know-about-microplastics-in-the-great-lakes/
What can be done to address the growing problem of pollution caused by plastic in Great Lakes water? Watch our conversation with Great Lakes policy experts, researchers, and legislators about the latest efforts. Hear about new state legislation to reduce the worst plastics. Learn about new research and innovations, including recommendations for Great Lakes-wide monitoring of plastic pollution. Understand policy efforts to move the issue forward. This webinar was affiliated with Chicago Water Week, presented by Current.
The post Webinar: Reducing Plastic Pollution in the Great Lakes appeared first on Alliance for the Great Lakes.
News - Alliance for the Great Lakes
News - Alliance for the Great Lakes
https://greatlakes.org/2025/05/webinar-reducing-plastic-pollution-in-the-great-lakes/
Illinoisans are sending a clear message to their representatives: keep plastic out of the Great Lakes and our drinking water. This year, they’ve sent over 1,200 messages (and counting!) to their state representatives. Over 30 Great Lakes scientists also recently joined the call.
In its 2025 spring session, the Illinois state legislature is considering several important bills. In March, measures that would phase out both single-use foam foodware and plastic bags passed a key Illinois Senate committee. The Alliance and our partners are in Springfield and continuing to push these bills forward.
In addition, the Alliance is also working hard on bills to prevent dangerous pre-production plastic pellet pollution, protect our waterways from microfibers, and skip unnecessary single-use plastic foodware utensils.
The Alliance’s Senior Policy Advisor, Andrea Densham, has testified in Illinois Senate and House committees and spoke at a recent press conference at the State Capital with hundreds of advocates working to ensure these critically important bills pass. We’re securing protections for the Great Lakes and drinking water and bringing Alliance supporters’ letters directly to our Illinois General Assembly members.
At a time when the federal government is cutting back on protections for our water, states and local communities can step up in important ways to protect our health and environment.
Plastics never really go away
Plastic pollution is a highly pervasive threat to the health of our environment and all Illinoisans. Plastic never fully goes away. Instead, it breaks up into toxic microplastics that infiltrate our waterways. Researchers have found microplastics in the food we eat, the water we drink, and the air we breathe. The most effective way to reduce microplastics is to stop plastic from entering our environment in the first place.
Illinois bills that can make a difference
Bills to address some of the biggest sources of Great Lakes microplastic are under consideration.
Eliminating wasteful single-use plastic – Foam Food Ware – SB1531, Sen. Laura Fine
Plastic foam, most commonly known as Styrofoam, is the third most common litter item collected during our Adopt-a-Beach cleanups. Foam is exceptionally hard to recycle and breaks down easily into toxic environmental microplastic particles. This critical bill reduces plastic pollution at the source by restricting the sale and distribution of foam food containers.
Eliminating wasteful single-use plastic – Plastic Bags – SB1872, Sen. Cristina Castro
A single-use plastic shopping bag is used for just 12 minutes yet can persist for 10 to 20 years as it slowly breaks apart into microplastics. Plastic bags can harm the environment, wildlife, and people. Fish and other aquatic wildlife can ingest pieces of plastic bags. This important bill would reduce plastic film bags at checkout and establish a statewide solution to the growing plastic bag challenge.
Protecting our waterways from microfibers – HB1370/ SB30, Rep. Daniel Didech / Sen. Julie A. Morrison
The most common microplastics in the environment are microfibers, tiny thread-like pieces of plastic shed from synthetic textiles like polyester, rayon, nylon, acrylic, and fleece. Just a single load of laundry can release up to 18 million microfibers. Wastewater treatment plants cannot filter out the microfibers entirely, so they end up in our environment and our water. This bill will address this problem by adding a microfiber filter to new washing machines by 2030, much like lint filters in dryers, preventing millions of microfibers from becoming pollution. The bill is supported by over 30 Great Lakes scientists who study the issue.
Preventing Dangerous Pre-production Plastic Pellet Pollution – HB3278, Rep. Joyce Mason
Pre-production plastic pellets, sometimes called nurdles, often spill from manufacturing facilities during storage, movement, or plant operations. These pellets, which contain high concentrations of toxic petrochemicals, have been found in terrestrial, freshwater, and marine ecosystems, impacting our drinking water sources. HB 3278 is part of the first step in advancing a solution by instructing Illinois EPA to develop a plan and set of requirements to control plastic pellets and other preproduction plastic materials and prevent them from entering the environment and contaminating our drinking water.
Skip the Stuff – HB1600, Rep. Jennifer Gong-Gershowitz
In order to reduce single-use plastic pollution, this bill provides that take-out food delivery services provide customers disposable food ware upon request only.
What you can do
The post Plastic Reduction Bills Could Make Big Impact in Illinois appeared first on Alliance for the Great Lakes.
News - Alliance for the Great Lakes
News - Alliance for the Great Lakes
https://greatlakes.org/2025/04/plastic-reduction-bills-could-make-big-impact-in-illinois/
More than 30 Great Lakes scientists have called on Illinois legislators to establish a science-based standard for capturing plastic microfibers released from washing machines. By setting a standard, not a specific technology, and phasing it in over five years, a bill currently under consideration in the Illinois legislature allows washing machine manufacturers the flexibility and time to integrate this standard into new machines and products. This legislation will significantly reduce the amount of plastic microfiber pollution entering our lakes, rivers, lands, and local wastewater systems, thereby protecting our drinking water.
One existing technology is microfiber filters, which are similar to lint filters in the dryer. Microfiber filters can capture 90% of microfibers from a load of laundry.
Protecting the Great Lakes from the environmental and health risks of plastic microfiber pollution is critical. The Great Lakes provide drinking water for more than 30 million people and are home to diverse and increasingly threatened wildlife. Plastic in the environment never really goes away. Instead, it breaks down into smaller and smaller pieces, known as microplastics.
Plastic microfibers are the most prevalent form of microplastics in environmental samples and represent over 90% of microplastics ingested by marine animals. Plastic microfibers come from plastic-based textiles and clothing. More than 18 million microfibers can be released in just one load of laundry. In animals, ingestion of microfibers has been shown to reduce food consumption, reduce energy for growth, alter gene expression, and block digestive tracts. An ever-expanding body of research is identifying the human health impacts of microplastics.
Microfibers are common throughout the Great Lakes habitats and wildlife, including streams, rivers, agricultural soils, and wildlife. They flow via washing machine effluent into wastewater treatment plants, primarily resulting in the biosolids left over from treatment. These biosolids are then applied to Illinois lands as fertilizer, releasing microfibers into the environment and contaminating agricultural soils. A recent analysis showed that Illinois is among the top five states with the most abundant microplastics from biosolids.
Worse yet, microfibers are a persistent pollutant. Once in the environment, they are nearly impossible to clean up, which is why it is critical to prevent these particles from escaping into the environment in the first place.
The scientist’s letter expresses support for Illinois General Assembly bill HB1370, sponsored by Illinois State Representatives Daniel Didech and Kim du Buclet, along with companion Senate bill SB0030, sponsored by Illinois State Senator Julie A. Morrison. These bills are currently being considered during the spring session of the Illinois General Assembly.
The full text of the letter is below:
The Honorable Carol Ammons, Chair
Illinois General Assembly
House Energy and Environment Committee
RE: Support for–Microfiber Prevention and Washing Machine Filtration Legislation HB 1370
Dear Chair Carol Ammons,
We want to express our support for the microfiber filtration legislation, which will significantly reduce the amount of microfiber pollution entering lakes, rivers, lands, and local wastewater systems, preventing harm to our drinking water.
“Microfibers” are small thread-like microplastic fibers less than 5 mm. They are derived from textiles and typically contain chemical additives, including dyes and plasticizers, to give the finished product characteristics such as heat resistance, waterproofing, flexibility, and antimicrobial properties.
Microfibers are generated throughout the entire lifecycle of clothing manufacturing and cleaning. Washing clothes is a primary source of microfibers to the environment because up to 18 million microfibers can be released during a single wash[1]. In fact, the amount of microfibers released from 100,000 fleece jackets could be as high as 0.65 – 3.91 kg (1.4 – 8.6 lbs.). Microfibers from washing clothes enter wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) – which are not engineered to capture microfibers – so a meaningful fraction makes it through to the treated effluent. For example, a team of Illinois researchers measured microplastics in raw sewage, sludge, and treated effluent at a few sites in the Chicago suburbs. A recent analysis showed that the relatively small WWTP in Bartlett, Illinois, which treats 1.9 million gallons of wastewater/day, releases approximately 9,500 microplastic particles into the DuPage River every day. Within WWTPs, most microfibers are captured in the sewage sludge (biosolids)[2]. Under current best practices in Illinois, the sewage sludge is converted to ‘biosolids’, or fertilizer, that must be land applied. Biosolids containing microfibers are thus used by our state’s farmers and homeowners and, from there, can pollute terrestrial environments, the air, and our waterways.
Countless studies have revealed that microfibers are one of the most abundant types of microplastic globally, including in Illinois and the Great Lakes region. Microfibers are common throughout the Great Lakes habitats and wildlife, including streams, rivers, agricultural soils, and wildlife. For example, a recent study examined fish collected in Chicago-area rivers over the last 100 years, stored at the Field Museum of Natural History[3]. The results showed that microplastics, including microfibers, first appeared in fish digestive tracts in the mid-1900s and have increased in abundance since then.[4] This study concluded that although microplastic pollution is a relatively recent focus of research, its presence in the environment has been a feature of industrial plastic production since it began.[5] [6] Microfibers have unique negative effects on wildlife and humans compared to other microplastics. They have a distinct shape from other microplastics and are associated with a different suite of chemicals from manufacturing and environmental exposure. Microfibers can act as a vector for the transport of toxic chemicals such as PFAS, brominated flame retardants, and harmful dyes, posing risks to wildlife, the environment, drinking water, and people. In addition, microplastics can harbor some disease-causing microorganisms as they move through WWTPs and enter our rivers. Although research on the chemical fate and toxicity from microfibers is still in its infancy, findings demonstrate that microfibers can alter feeding behavior, reproduction, and survival. A review of the health impacts of microplastics on mammals showed inflammation and oxidative stress were consistent effects of microplastic exposure across species.[7] Studies on human health implications are still emerging, but recent research has shown a link between microfibers in lung tissue and tumor formation.
Communities throughout the Great Lakes region rely on their clean and abundant water for many uses, including drinking water. Microplastics are widespread in the Great Lakes, and not all are captured during filtration and chemical treatment of drinking water. Microfibers also pollute groundwater, another common source of drinking water for many communities in our region.[8] Agricultural soils are also contaminated with microfibers, which likely originates from the use of biosolids on farm fields. A recent analysis showed the states with the greatest abundance of microplastics from biosolids are Nebraska, Minnesota, Iowa, and Illinois.[9]
Worse yet, microfibers are a persistent pollutant. Once in the environment, they are nearly impossible to clean up, which is why upstream interventions are critical in preventing these particles from escaping into the environment in the first place. Thus, it is essential to reduce the sources of microfibers now before their environmental impact further increases.
Interventions that capture microfibers before they’re released to wastewater are needed now to address microfiber pollution. The filtration systems required by HB 4269 are a solution we know to be effective from numerous laboratory studies and field investigations. A 100 μm filter, as would be required under HB 4269, can capture up to 90% of microfibers in a load of laundry. Furthermore, they can also be an effective solution at the regional scale; a community-level study of filters installed in 97 homes in Ontario, Canada, showed a significant reduction in microfibers in the wastewater system after installing filters.
Illinois has the opportunity, with Washing Machine Microfiber Filtration legislation, to lead the nation once again in addressing microplastic pollution. With effective filtration solutions available, we cannot afford to wait to address the threats of microfiber pollution from our drinking water and from flowing into our environment. As representatives of the scientific community, we suggest acting now, before environmental concentrations reach an even higher level that exacerbates harm to wildlife, drinking water, people, and the planet.
Sincerely,
Timothy Hoellein, Ph.D.
Professor
Department of Biology
Loyola University Chicago
John Kelly
Biology Department Chair, Professor
Loyola University Chicago
Reuben P. Keller, PhD
Professor, Graduate Program Director
School of Environmental Sustainability
Loyola University Chicago
Sherri Mason
Associate Research Professor and Director of Sustainability,
Penn State Behrend
Chelsea Rochman
Assistant Professor
Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology
Head of Operations & Science Programming and Application Lead U of T Trash Team
University of Toronto, Canada
Aaron Packman
Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering
Northwestern University
Mike M. McMahon
Strategic Partnerships Administrator
Paula M. Trienens Institute for Sustainability and Energy
Caleb D. McMahan
Head of Zoology Collections
Collections Manager, Fishes
Field Museum of Natural History
Sarah Zhou Rosengard
Assistant Prof
School of the Art Institute of Chicago
John W Scott
Associate Research Scientist, Senior Analytical Chemist,
Illinois Sustainable Technology Center
Dr. Bill Perry
Professor of Ecology
Illinois State University
Jaclyn Wegner
Director, Conservation Action
Shedd Aquarium
Austin Happel
Research Biologist
Shedd Aquarium
Carolyn Foley
Research Coordinator
Illinois-Indiana Sea Grant
Purdue University
Tomas Höök
Department of Forestry and Natural Resources
Purdue University
Robert Stelzer Ph.D.
Professor and Graduate Coordinator
Department of Biology
University of Wisconsin, Oshkosh
Eric Strauss
Professor, Dept. Biology
University of Wisconsin, LaCrosse
Dr. Lorena Rios Mendoza
Professor, Natural Sciences Department
University of Wisconsin, Superior
Catherine Searle
Assistant Professor
Perdue University
Gary Lamberti
Professor, Department of Biology
University of Notre Dame
Jennifer Tank
Ludmilla F., Stephen J., and Robert T. Galla Professor of Biological Sciences
Director of Environmental Change Initiative (ND ECI)
University of Notre Dame
Alan D. Steinman
Allen and Helen Hunting Research Professor
Grand Valley State University
Donna Kashian
Professor, Director of Environmental Science
Wayne State University
Suchy, Amanda
Post doctoral researcher
Central Michigan University
Melissa Duhaime
Dept Ecology and Evolutionary Biology
University of Michigan
Matthew Hoffman
Professor, School of Mathematics and Statistics
Rochester Institute of Technology
Christy Tyler
Associate Professor and Director of the Graduate Program in Environmental Science
Rochester Institute of Technology
Melissa Maurer-Jones
Associate Professor, Swenson College of Science and Engineering
University of Minnesota – Duluth
Diane Orihel
Associate Professor, Queen’s National Scholar in Aquatic Ecotoxicology
School of Environmental Studies/Department of Biology
Queen’s University, Canada
Michael Rennie
Canada Research Chair in Freshwater Ecology and Fisheries
Associate Professor and Graduate Coordinator, Department of Biology
Director, Aquatic Toxicology Research Centre
Lakehead University, Canada
Rebecca Rooney
Principal Investigator, Waterloo Wetland Lab
Associate Professor, Department of Biology
University of Waterloo
Patricia Corcoran
Professor, Dept. of Earth Sciences
University of Western Ontario, Canada
Tony Walker
Professor, School for Resource and Environmental Studies
Dalhousie University, Canada
Scott Higgins
Senior Research Scientist
International Institute for Sustainable Development -Experimental Lakes Area
Michael Paterson
Senior Research Scientist
International Institute for Sustainable Development -Experimental Lakes Area
[1] Scott J, Prada A, Green L. The Transport of Emerging Contaminants (Microplastics and PFAS) in Landfill-Wastewater Treatment Systems. TR Series (Illinois Sustainable Technology Center); 80. 2023. https://www.ideals.illinois.edu/items/128768
[2] Kelly, J.J., London, M.G., McCormick, A.R., Rojas, M., Scott, J.W. and Hoellein, T.J., 2021. Wastewater treatment alters microbial colonization of microplastics. PloS one, 16(1), p.e0244443. https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0244443
[3] Hoellein T, Rovegno C, Uhrin AV, Johnson E, Herring C. Microplastics in invasive freshwater mussels (Dreissena sp.): spatiotemporal variation and occurrence with chemical contaminants. Frontiers in Marine Science. 2021 Jun 29;8:690401.
[4] Lenaker PL, Baldwin AK, Corsi SR, Mason SA, Reneau PC, Scott JW. Vertical distribution of microplastics in the water column and surficial sediment from the Milwaukee River Basin to Lake Michigan. Environmental science & technology. 2019 Oct 16;53(21):12227-37.
[5] Koyuncuoğlu P, Erden G. Sampling, pre-treatment, and identification methods of microplastics in sewage sludge and their effects in agricultural soils: a review. Environmental Monitoring and Assessment. 2021 Apr;193:1-28.
[6] Hou L, McMahan CD, McNeish RE, Munno K, Rochman CM, Hoellein TJ. A fish tale: a century of museum specimens reveal increasing microplastic concentrations in freshwater fish. Ecological Applications. 2021 Jul;31(5):e02320. https://esajournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1002/eap.2320
[7] Coffin S, Bouwmeester H, Brander S, Damdimopoulou P, Gouin T, Hermabessiere L, Khan E, Koelmans AA, Lemieux CL, Teerds K, Wagner M. Development and application of a health-based framework for informing regulatory action in relation to exposure of microplastic particles in California drinking water. Microplastics and Nanoplastics. 2022 May 25;2(1):12.
[8] Panno SV, Kelly WR, Scott J, Zheng W, McNeish RE, Holm N, Hoellein TJ, Baranski EL. Microplastic contamination in karst groundwater systems. Groundwater. 2019 Mar;57(2):189-96.
[9] Naderi Beni N, Karimifard S, Gilley J, Messer T, Schmidt A, Bartelt-Hunt S. Higher concentrations of microplastics in runoff from biosolid-amended croplands than manure-amended croplands. Communications Earth & Environment. 2023 Feb 20;4(1):42.
The post Great Lakes Scientists Support Illinois Bill to Protect Drinking Water from Plastic Microfibers appeared first on Alliance for the Great Lakes.
News - Alliance for the Great Lakes
News - Alliance for the Great Lakes
https://greatlakes.org/2025/03/great-lakes-scientists-support-illinois-bill-to-protect-drinking-water-from-plastic-microfibers/
Microplastics may be colorful, but can cause environmental and food web issues in the Great Lakes. Image credit: Marie Zhuikov, Wisconsin Sea Grant
A project that deals with microplastic accumulation in the Great Lakes food web and another that will work with Milwaukee’s fashion community to reduce microplastic debris in waterways were awarded funding by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration through the Marine Debris Challenge and Community Action Coalition competitions.
The first project, “Pinpointing the key drivers for the bioaccumulation of nano- and low-micrometer microplastics in the Great Lakes using a modular pretreatment and plasmonic imaging platform,” is led by Haoran Wei from the University of Wisconsin–Madison. Wei and his team will create a standardized, high-speed testing system to study how tiny microplastics and nanoplastics appear and build up in living organisms in the Great Lakes.
The second project, “Fashioning a model response: Educating members of the fashion industry about microplastics to reduce marine debris in local waters,” is led by Ginny Carlton with Wisconsin Sea Grant. Carlton and partners Milwaukee River Keeper and Mount Mary University will offer workshops for college fashion department faculty, university students and K-12 teachers regarding reducing polyester clothing fiber waste. They will also pilot and launch an online short course for educators about marine debris prevention and the fashion industry.
Funding for these projects and 19 others awarded comes from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and the Inflation Reduction Act.
The post Two Wisconsin marine debris projects funded by NOAA first appeared on Wisconsin Sea Grant.News Releases | Wisconsin Sea Grant
News Releases | Wisconsin Sea Grant
https://www.seagrant.wisc.edu/news/two-wisconsin-marine-debris-projects-funded-by-noaa/
CHICAGO, IL (March 25, 2024) – Last week on World Water Day, the Alliance for the Great Lakes, Ocean Conservancy, Illinois Environmental Council, and Loyola University scientists held a press conference with partners at the Museum of Science and Industry to discuss protecting the Great Lakes and waterways from the environmental and health risks of microfiber pollution. The Great Lakes provide drinking water for more than 30 million people and are home to diverse and increasingly threatened wildlife. However, the Great Lakes are in the midst of a plastic pollution crisis, with plastic waste increasingly accumulating in our waterways. To address this issue, Illinois lawmakers have introduced a bill that would require microfiber capture devices on all washing machines sold in Illinois by 2030.
“What happens in Illinois impacts the ocean – whether through the Great Lakes, whose water flows through the St. Lawrence Seaway to the Atlantic, or through the Mississippi River flowing into the Gulf of Mexico. Microplastics can even be carried by evaporated water and spread through our weather systems around the world. Washing machines are a major contributor to plastic microfiber pollution, and Ocean Conservancy is proud to support this bill to stop microplastics at the source,” said Jeff Watters, Vice President, External Affairs at Ocean Conservancy.
“For over 30 years, Alliance for the Great Lakes Adopt-a-Beach volunteers have been on the front lines of keeping litter off our beaches and out of the Great Lakes by removing over half a million pounds of litter from shorelines since 1991. Most of the litter collected is composed either partially or fully of plastic. The good news is that if we act now, we can stop the pollution before it makes its way into our waterways through simple washing machine filters like those used in dryers. Our dedicated volunteers shouldn’t be the only means to keep plastic pollution out of the Great Lakes. We need smart policies to reduce microplastic pollution, which is why we fully support Illinois House Bill 4269,” said Molly Flanagan, Chief Operating Officer & Vice President for Programs of the Alliance for the Great Lakes.
“Our research group has been studying litter in our waterways for over 10 years. The vast majority of the trash we find is plastic, and increasingly, microfibers are the most common microplastic in our waterways. Preventing pollution at the source is critical; washing machine filters are a simple and cost-effective solution. This approach is important and can make meaningful improvements to reduce pollution,” said Dr. Tim Hoellein, Associate Professor, Loyola University, Director Aquatic Ecology Lab.
Plastic microfibers that come from plastic-based textiles and clothing are of growing concern. Microfibers are the most prevalent form of microplastics in environmental samples and represent over 90% of microplastics ingested by marine animals. In animals, ingestion of microfibers has been shown to reduce food consumption, reduce energy for growth, alter gene expression, and block digestive tracts.
In many cases, microfibers that are shed from clothing during household and commercial laundering escape wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) and flow with the discharge into our waterways. An existing technology, washing machine microfiber filters, have been shown to be a cost-effective solution that can capture up to 90% of microfibers from each load of laundry, leading to a significant reduction in microfibers in wastewater treatment plants.
A fact sheet on microfibers can be found here.
Photos from the event can be found here.
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The Alliance for the Great Lakes is a nonpartisan nonprofit working across the region to protect our most precious resource: the fresh, clean, and natural waters of the Great Lakes. For more information, visit greatlakes.org.
Ocean Conservancy is working to protect the ocean from today’s greatest global challenges. Together with our partners, we create evidence-based solutions for a healthy ocean and the wildlife and communities that depend on it. For more information, visit oceanconservancy.org, or follow us on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram.
Don Carr, Media Director, Alliance for the Great Lakes, dcarr@greatlakes.org, +1 (651) 395-4270
Roya Fox, Communications Manager, Ocean Conservancy, rfox@oceanconservancy.org, +1 (206) 948-7874
The post New Bill to Protect Great Lakes, Drinking Water from Microplastics Receives Support from Environmental Groups appeared first on Alliance for the Great Lakes.
News - Alliance for the Great Lakes
News - Alliance for the Great Lakes
https://greatlakes.org/2024/03/new-bill-to-protect-great-lakes-drinking-water-from-microplastics-receives-support-from-environmental-groups/
By Lester Graham, Michigan Radio
The Great Lakes News Collaborative includes Bridge Michigan; Circle of Blue; Great Lakes Now at Detroit Public Television; and Michigan Radio, Michigan’s NPR News Leader; who work together to bring audiences news and information about the impact of climate change, pollution, and aging infrastructure on the Great Lakes and drinking water.
Great Lakes Now
https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2023/08/whats-being-done-plastic-trash-getting-great-lakes/
Nearly 90 percent of water samples taken from the Great Lakes over the last ten years exceed safe levels for wildlife. Researchers from the University of Toronto and the Winnipeg-based International Institute for Sustainable Development came to this conclusion after conducting a comprehensive review of microplastics studies.
At the levels surveyed, the researchers say fish and other aquatic wildlife are at risk of ingesting enough microplastics to fill their guts, diluting their regular food and its nutritional value.
Great Lakes Now
https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2023/08/great-lakes-microplastics-concentrations-exceed-safe-levels-for-wildlife/
Science Says What? is a monthly column written by Great Lakes now contributor Sharon Oosthoek exploring what science can tell us about what’s happening beneath and above the waves of our beloved Great Lakes and their watershed.
Microplastic pollution has been building up in the Great Lakes since at least the 1970s.
Great Lakes Now
https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2023/02/science-says-what-how-worried-should-we-be-about-microplastic-pollution/
This post is by Sofia Johansson, who worked as the Alliance for the Great Lakes’ Public Policy and Governance Intern this summer. She is a third-year Environmental and Urban Studies major at the University of Chicago and is originally from Madison, Wisconsin. She is passionate about environmental justice, equity, and sustainability in planning and policy.
For more than 30 years, thousands of Adopt-A-Beach volunteers have helped clean up litter, most of it plastic, from beaches across the Great Lakes region. This year, the program reached a major milestone—half a million pounds of litter picked up since volunteers started collecting beach data nearly 20 years ago. But beach cleanups alone can’t solve the magnitude of the Great Lakes’ plastic problem. A more systemic solution is required.
Plastic has been found in Great Lakes fish dating back to the 1950s. That means, for nearly seven decades, there have been microplastics in our water—water we drink, swim in, fish from, and cherish. Most of that time, we didn’t know it was there. But now, the research is overwhelming. The amount of microplastics in the surface water of the Great Lakes is estimated at 1.2 million particles/km2. This is higher than plastic concentrations in the widely publicized Great Pacific Garbage Patch. Moreover, researchers estimate that over 22 million pounds of plastic enter the Great Lakes annually. That is an exorbitantly high amount of plastic, so why are we letting it continue?
The reasons often trace back to the political power of the plastic industry. They have focused on the individual responsibility of consumers rather than changes in industry practices. They also try to limit legislative action to measures promoting recycling, even though the US recycled less than 6% of its plastic waste in 2021, and recycling is considered an ineffective reducer of plastic pollution. But they do this to absolve industry of any responsibility and to make us think that individuals are responsible for plastic pollution as opposed to the plastic industry itself, which has promoted the use of plastics in almost every facet of our lives.
As such, the plastics lobby has repeatedly challenged legislation that creates meaningful systemic changes, such as single-use plastic bans, reductions in production, and extended producer responsibility.
Therefore, the Great Lakes states and the federal government have seriously lagged in plastic pollution policy. Five of the eight states have preemption laws, often called “bans on bans,” that prevent any level of local government from passing legislation to reduce plastic pollution. The plastics lobby has worked with the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC) to develop a model preemptive bill for states to pass. And Congress has passed little legislation to deal with the scope of the problem.
But what’s at stake? What happens if we continue letting corporate interests and financial gain pollute our water? The Great Lakes are home to thousands of species, provide drinking water for 10% of Americans (and 25% of Canadians), and support a multi-trillion-dollar economy. Beyond the numbers, the Great Lakes are fundamental to the life and health of the Midwest.
Human health is a serious concern regarding plastics in our lakes. Though research is just beginning, microplastics have been found in Great Lakes tap water, beer, fish, and dozens of other consumables across the globe. Data compiled from several studies indicate that humans may ingest up to 5 grams of plastic a week, equivalent to the mass of a credit card. Researchers suggest most of the plastic humans ingest may come from drinking water and have detected plastic in our blood, lungs, hair, saliva, and stool.
The smaller the plastic, the more dangerous. Once in the body, microplastics may translocate, cross cell membranes, permeate tissue, and linger in human organs, potentially causing chronic inflammation. They also leach dangerous chemicals and toxins, such as phthalates, polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), and bisphenol A (BPA). These and other chemicals have been found in the water and microplastics of the Great Lakes. They are carcinogens, reproductive toxicants, and endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs). EDCs, which disrupt hormones and can cause metabolic changes, have been heavily linked to a long list of health issues, including diabetes, neurological diseases, many different cancers, and reproductive damage. In short, microplastics, which have been allowed to increase and accumulate in our water, could have devastating impacts on our health and the health of future generations.
Given that states are not dealing with this problem and local governments sometimes find their hands tied, it is imperative that the federal government take comprehensive action that puts the responsibility on the producer to truly reduce plastic pollution, protect Great Lakes ecosystems, and ensure our health. An essential first step at the national level is passing the Plastic Pellet Free Waters Act, introduced by Sen. Durbin of Illinois, which prohibits the discharge of plastic pellets and other pre-production plastic materials into our water from any point source. These pellets are commonly found on Great Lakes beaches. In addition to this first step, more is required to deal with the magnitude of the problem in a comprehensive fashion. Congress should also pass the Break Free from Plastic Pollution Act, which creates a national extended producer responsibility program, phases out single-use plastic products, and targets microplastics in the environment, along with many other comprehensive measures.
Plastic pollution is a growing threat to our environment and our health and will continue to be until Congress takes comprehensive action to address this problem. The time to act on this is now.
The post Why the Great Lakes Need Comprehensive Solutions to Plastic Pollution appeared first on Alliance for the Great Lakes.
News - Alliance for the Great Lakes
News - Alliance for the Great Lakes
https://greatlakes.org/2022/10/why-the-great-lakes-need-comprehensive-solutions-to-plastic-pollution/
The Great Lakes contain 95% of all the fresh surface water in the United States, and Wisconsin is fortunate that two of those lakes make up its northern and eastern borders—1,000 miles in all and supporting 105 Great Lakes communities.
Stewardship of the lakes is critical not just for those 105 communities, but for the entire state, which benefits from lakes Michigan and Superior culturally, recreationally and economically. Tuesday, Wisconsin Sea Grant announced 12 new two-year research projects worth $2.8 million that build Great Lakes understanding, leading to science-based management and policy decisions.
“We often say the Great Lakes are a gift from the glaciers,” said Sea Grant Director Jim Hurley. “This gift is a valuable one—a recent study found 1.3 million jobs are tied to the lakes, with $82 billion in annual wages. Just as the lakes fuel our economy, they also enrich our quality of life. That’s why we are pleased that these projects officially kick off today with funding from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.”
Research will be conducted on four University of Wisconsin System campuses and will, for example, deepen our understanding of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, harmful algal blooms and marine debris, three timely water-quality concerns.
In all, nearly 75 researchers, staff and students will be engaged in this work on the University of Wisconsin System campuses of Madison, Milwaukee, Platteville and Stevens Point. Additionally, the maritime archaeology program at the Wisconsin Historical Society will be supported for Lake Michigan shipwreck exploration.
Water samples laden with PFAS in the Christy Remucal lab at UW-Madison. Photo: Bonnie Willison
“This year, Wisconsin Sea Grant is celebrating its 50-year anniversary. We have a long history of supporting not just research, but the up-and-coming researchers across the state who want to meet Great Lakes challenges and opportunities. More than half of the projects announced Tuesday will be led by investigators who are first-time Sea Grant funding recipients,” Hurley said.
The post Great Lakes Stewardship Continues With New Projects Worth $2.8 Million Over Two Years first appeared on Wisconsin Sea Grant.News Releases | Wisconsin Sea Grant
News Releases | Wisconsin Sea Grant
https://www.seagrant.wisc.edu/news/great-lakes-stewardship-continues-with-new-projects-worth-2-8-million-over-two-years/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=great-lakes-stewardship-continues-with-new-projects-worth-2-8-million-over-two-years
Their daily work aims at reducing microplastics and invasive species in the Great Lakes, increasing attention to equity in the region’s environmentalism, helping communities finance water infrastructure, and better connecting foundations in coastline cities.
For this, six individuals from around the Great Lakes region earned a 2021 leadership award from the Great Lakes Protection Fund.
Great Lakes Now
https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2021/09/great-lakes-protection-fund-award-plastics-invasives-equity/
A four-year research project looking into the impact of microplastics on freshwater ecosystems and on agricultural soils will have important implications for the Great Lakes, said its principal researcher.
Funded by the Canadian government, the $1-million project was announced in May. It will measure microplastic levels in wastewater from treatment plants draining into Ontario rivers and streams that feed into the Great Lakes.
Great Lakes Now
https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2021/06/canada-microplastics-study-wastewater-impact/
This article was republished here with permission from Great Lakes Echo.
By Hannah Brock, Great Lakes Echo
A type of algae that a recent study found collects microfibers brings up questions about microplastic pollution impacts and how it could affect human health.
Great Lakes Now
https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2021/05/algae-vacuum-microplastics-greater-health-threat/
Watershed cleanups are popular ways of dealing with local plastic pollution, but once large plastic trash disintegrates into microplastics, they're nearly impossible to pick up.
Great Lakes Now
https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2021/05/plastic-debris-great-lakes-drinking-water-food/
A type of algae that a recent study found collects microfibers brings up questions about microplastic pollution impacts and how it could affect human health.
The post Algae may vacuum microplastics, but also indicates greater health threat first appeared on Great Lakes Echo.Great Lakes Echo
http://greatlakesecho.org/2021/05/05/algae-may-vacuum-microplastics-but-also-indicates-greater-health-threat/
Microplastics act like a chemical sponge, soaking up contaminants such as persistent organic pollutants and heavy metals.
Great Lakes Now
https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2021/05/chemical-impact-microplastic-pollution/
Microplastic particles, typically studied as aquatic pollutants, are also common in coastal dunes on Great Lakes’ shorelines, according to a new study.
The post From lakes to shores, microplastics are spreading everywhere first appeared on Great Lakes Echo.
Great Lakes Echo
http://greatlakesecho.org/2020/12/17/from-lakes-to-shores-microplastics-are-spreading-everywhere/
An array of more than 80 marine-debris-turned-art works will be making another Great Lakes stop, adding a lake sturgeon sculpture when it’s installed at a Wisconsin site next year.
Made entirely of plastic trash, these larger-than-life figures have realistic designs. They come as part of the traveling exhibit, Washed Ashore, which aims to educate people about plastic pollution.
Great Lakes Now
https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2020/09/trash-fish-marine-debris-sculptures-great-lakes-aquariums-museums/
