Synthetic microfibers are ubiquitous in benthic algae from the Laurentian Great Lakes

Sequestration of microfibers and other microplastics by green algae, Cladophora, in the US Great Lakes

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Researchers found that the macrophytic green alga Cladophora in the Great Lakes sequesters synthetic microfibers at high rates, suggesting that submerged aquatic vegetation serves as an important sink for textile-derived plastic particles in freshwater systems.

Microplastics and freshwater microalgae: what do we know so far?

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A review of 20 studies found that microplastics inhibit freshwater microalgae growth, reduce photosynthetic activity, alter pigment profiles, and induce oxidative stress, with effects varying by plastic shape, size, concentration, and exposure duration. Because microalgae form the base of aquatic food webs, microplastic-driven disruption of algal communities could have cascading effects on freshwater ecosystem health.

Influence of synthetic and natural microfibers on the growth, substance exchange, energy accumulation, and oxidative stress of field-collected microalgae compared with microplastic fragment

Coexistence of cyanobacteria and microplastics in eutrophic lake ecosystems: Interactions and combined effects

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Microplastics and harmful algae (cyanobacteria) often build up together in polluted lakes, and this review of existing research shows they actually affect each other, plastics stress out the algae, while algae can coat plastics and change how they break down or sink. This combo appears to make lake pollution worse for fish and other wildlife than either problem alone, which matters since these same lakes can be sources of drinking water and food, meaning the risks to human health may be greater than previously understood.

Occurrence, Sources, Transport, and Fate of Microplastics in the Great Lakes–St. Lawrence River Basin

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Researchers documented that microplastics smaller than five millimeters are present throughout the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence River system, from tributary streams to the Atlantic Ocean. This finding suggests that the Great Lakes region is both a major accumulation zone and a transport pathway for microplastic pollution into the broader marine environment.