28 July 2023
LAWRENCE (KSNT) – Seemingly pristine water could be hiding a tiny form of man-made pollution which is drawing the attention of scientists in a global study.
Two researchers from the University of Kansas (KU) are shedding light on the presence of microplastics in Kansas lakes and reservoirs alongside more than 70 other researchers in a global study, according to KU. Ted Harris, an associate research professor for Ecological Research at KU, alongside Rebecca Kessler, a former student of Harris and recent KU graduate, participated in the efforts to identify microplastics in Kansas waters.
What Are Microplastics?
Microplastics are described as small plastic pieces less than five millimeters in length that can have a harmful impact on Earth’s oceans and aquatic life, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). Many pieces are barely visible to the naked eye with some requiring the use of a microscope to see.
Microplastics can come from a variety of sources like larger pieces of plastic that have broken apart, resin pellets used in plastic manufacturing or microbeads used in health and beauty products. The issue of microbeads use in some products made available to consumers in the U.S. prompted then-President Barack Obama to sign the Microbead-Free Waters Act of 2015, banning the use of microbeads in cosmetics and personal care products.
The study of microplastics is still in its infancy and not much is known of what effects microplastics can have on the environment around them, according to the NOAA. The small size of microplastics means they can easily pass through water filtration systems and wind up in bodies of water like oceans and lakes.
An Associated Press (AU) article examining the discovery of microplastics in Colorado snow points out that researchers have found microplastics in human blood and lung tissue. Despite this, little is known on what health impacts microplastics will have on humans.
Microplastics In The U.S. And Around The World
Initial research into microplastics focused on the world’s oceans but recent studies have identified a discouraging amount of microplastics in U.S. waters. Lake Tahoe in the western U.S. was found to have greater concentrations of microplastics than floating islands of trash located in the ocean, according to a report from the Los Angeles Times.
Microplastics have even been found in deep ocean waters, in contrast to earlier beliefs that the major concentrations were on the surface near floating islands of garbage, according to a report from NPR. Microplastics can be found from the surface to thousands of feet deep, some of which is being distributed by ocean currents.
Marine life like whales have been found to ingest 10 million pieces of microplastics per day, according to a study from Stanford University. The study found that the majority of the microplastics ingested by the whales came from their prey, krill, and not the ocean water around them.
Individual states like California have taken steps to reduce microplastic pollution. In 2022, California Governor Gavin Newsom signed legislation to reduce the use of single-use plastic packaging for items like shampoo and laundry detergent in the state.
Study Results
The study involved researchers with the international Global Lake Ecological Observatory Network (GLEON) which examines phenomena and processes occurring in freshwater environments, according to KU. The group recently published a paper titled, “Plastic debris in lakes and reservoirs” which reveals interesting findings regarding microplastics.
“We found microplastics in every lake we sampled,” said Harris said. “Some of these lakes you think of as clear, beautiful vacation spots. But we discovered such places to be perfect examples of the link between plastics and humans.”
Harris and Kessler participated in the study by testing the waters of Clinton Lake, Lake Perry and the Cross Reservoir at the KU Field Station, according to KU. The pair used a tolling net with small holes in it to gather evidence of microplastics in the water before sending it off to other researchers for further examination. In total, the study examined 38 lakes and reservoirs around the world with each found to contain microplastics.
“This paper essentially shows the more humans, the more plastics,” Harris said. “Places like Clinton Lake are relatively low in microplastics because — while there are many animals and trees — there aren’t a lot of humans, relative to somewhere like Lake Tahoe where people are living all around it. Some of these lakes are seemingly pristine and beautiful, yet that’s where the microplastics come from.”
Plastics can be introduced to the water not only through the break-up of larger plastic materials, but also through things like t-shirts, according to KU. Harris said the act of jumping into the water while wearing clothes could introduce microplastic fibers into the water.
With the impacts of microplastics not fully understood and seemingly no escape from their presence, it is up to scientists like Kessler and Harris to continue studying the topic.
“The biggest takeaway from our study is that microplastics can be found in all lakes,” Kessler said. “Obviously, there are different concentrations. But they are literally everywhere. And the biggest contributing factor to these microplastics is human interaction with the lakes.”