Researchers studying the Great Lakes say fish consumed by people are filled with microplastics, raising concerns about human exposure and the region’s freshwater supply.
Sarah Mattalian reports for Inside Climate News.
In short:
- Microplastics have been found in every Great Lakes fish tested, with some near Toronto carrying hundreds to more than 1,000 particles.
- The Great Lakes basin supplies drinking water, agriculture and industry for millions, yet faces contamination from plastics, heavy metals, and other pollutants.
- Researchers are developing monitoring frameworks, new cleanup technologies, and policy recommendations, even as global treaty talks on plastic pollution have stalled.
Key quote:
“When we look at those fish, we find microplastics in every single fish.”
— Chelsea Rochman, microplastics researcher and associate professor of ecology and evolutionary biology at the University of Toronto
Why this matters:
Microplastics are not only in oceans but in the lakes and rivers that provide drinking water to tens of millions of people in North America. These tiny plastic fragments, often invisible to the naked eye, slip into food chains and have been linked to reproductive and metabolic harm in wildlife. Their presence in human organs raises concerns about long-term health risks we don’t yet fully understand. The Great Lakes, holding nearly a fifth of the world’s surface freshwater, now serve as a warning that plastic pollution is a direct threat to both ecosystem stability and public health. Without coordinated policies, contamination could deepen across communities reliant on these waters.
Related: Scientists urge U.S. and Canada to act on Great Lakes microplastics crisis
