Experts propose wide-reaching new measures to combat invisible scourge plauging the Great Lakes: '[This] would improve our understanding'
The Great Lakes form one of the world's largest freshwater systems, and now an advisory board is working to monitor their health by measuring the amount of microplastics in their waters as they seek solutions to ensure their survival.
The International Joint Commission's Great Lakes Science Advisory Board has proposed a regional coordination plan to monitor microplastics in The Great Lakes, according to a report from Buffalo Rising.
"Adopting microplastics as an indicator of ecological health would improve our understanding of their prevalence and environmental impacts," Karen Kidd, a member of the board's Science Priority Committee, told Buffalo Rising.
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According to the Alliance for the Great Lakes, the Great Lakes have "stunningly high" quantities of microplastics in their waters, and over 22 million pounds of plastic pollution end up in those lakes every year. The Environmental Working Group shared a report that showed 85% of fish in three Great Lakes tributaries had microplastics in their digestive tracts.
Microplastics — particles no more than 5 millimeters in length — pose ongoing health risks to humans and wildlife, with the long-term effects still being studied. Researchers recently found that microplastics became lodged in the brains of mice and restricted blood flow, impacting their movements. Other studies have shown that microplastic exposure has been connected to cancer, dementia, reproductive difficulties, and other health problems.
A 2019 study from the University of Newcastle, Australia, stated that, on average, people ingest about a credit-card-sized amount of plastic every week.
Monitoring the amount of microplastics in The Great Lakes is a step forward in managing and hopefully mitigating the damage they can cause.
"Plastic is a part of modern life and pervasive throughout the Great Lakes ecosystem," Rebecca Rooney, Canadian co-chair of the Science Advisory Board's Research Coordination Committee, told Buffalo Rising. "Yet, the monitoring and reporting on microplastics is largely project-based. The board offers actionable tools to help the Canadian and U.S. governments take a common and routine approach to monitoring microplastics."
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