A study for the advocacy group PennEnvironment found microplastics present in waterways throughout Pennsylvania, making it a major concern in the fight against pollution. Microplastics are tiny pieces of plastics that is not biodegradable according to Faran Saviz, Zero Waste Advocate with PennEnvironment.

“There are some you can see in the visible environment, especially tiny plastic pellets called nurdles that are used to make larger plastic products. But a lot of these microplastics you just can't see, but they're out there, “said Saviz.

PennEnvironment has done two projects for testing microplastics and has tested over 100 waters in Pennsylvania.

“We found microplastics in every single waterway that we've tested. Our most recent one was on some of our cleanest, most important waterways around the state. They're called exceptional value, high quality or class A cold water trout streams. So, these are sort of the best of the best that we have. And unfortunately, we found microplastics in every single one that we tested. Meaning it doesn't matter if it's the cleanest waterway or the dirtiest. It doesn't matter if there's visible litter or absolutely nothing at all. Pristine nature. These plastics are polluting everything everywhere, “said Saviz.

Harry Campbell, PA Science Policy and Advocacy Director at the Chesapeake Bay Foundation says research suggests humans ingest about 2,000 particles of microplastics a week over the course of a year.

“That can get into our hearts, into our brains, into our bloodstream, into our lungs through. And it can affect a whole myriad of systems with either physical irritation or the impacts of those compounds that make up that plastic particle as they begin to degrade, whether it be in the environment or in our bodies, those compounds that make up that plastic start to degrade into their individual chemical components. And those components can act as singularly or synergistically in combination to cause cancers to affect even mental health learning rates and other factors that are a direct correlation to our own health and well-being, “said Campbell.

 

 

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