Microplastics are widespread in the Great Lakes, contaminating water, fish and sediment, yet the U.S. and Canada lack coordinated efforts to monitor or control the pollution, scientists warn.
Carol Thompson reports for The Detroit News.
In short:
- The International Joint Commission's Great Lakes Science Advisory Board found that microplastics in Great Lakes fish rank among the highest globally, exposing consumers to potential risks.
- Unlike other pollutants, microplastics are not officially tracked by the U.S. or Canada, making it impossible to gauge the full extent of contamination or measure progress in reducing it.
- Scientists call for a monitoring program, stricter pollution controls and classification of microplastics as a chemical of concern.
Key quote:
"Sometimes we find hundreds of (microplastics) in the stomachs of fish. What that does is it takes up space and doesn't allow them to feed normally, so they're losing nutrition, they're probably not growing or reproducing as well."
— Karen Kidd, co-chair of the advisory board's microplastics work group and Jarislowsky Chair of Environment and Health at McMaster University
Why this matters:
Once released into the environment, microplastics pose a significant risk to wildlife. Aquatic species, in particular, often mistake these particles for food, which can lead to malnutrition and exposure to toxic chemicals that plastics can absorb.
Scientists have also begun to raise alarms about their potential impact on human health. Recent studies have detected microplastics in human blood, lungs, and even placentas, though the long-term effects of these exposures remain unclear. What’s clear, however, is that microplastics don’t simply disappear. Without strong regulatory efforts, their accumulation is likely to escalate, further stressing ecosystems already grappling with climate change, habitat loss, and other pollutants.
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