Scientists with a watchdog responsible for monitoring the Great Lakes have called on the U.S. and Canadian governments to take action to monitor microplastics in the lakes.
These tiny pieces of plastic pollution—which measure under 5 millimeters in size—are pervasive in the lakes, entering from sources including construction, cosmetics, fertilizers, litter, laundering of synthetic clothing and tire wear on vehicles.
In their recently published report, the International Joint Commission’s (IJC) Great Lakes Science Advisory Board has also called for microplastics to be designated a “Chemical of Mutual Concern.”
Karen Kidd, a professor of biology at McMaster University in Ontario, is a member of the advisory board and has been studying microplastics in southern Ontario since 2019.
“We find microplastics everywhere we look—from the open waters of the Great Lakes, to rivers flowing into the lakes, to fish and aquatic insects that live in these habitats,” she said in a statement.