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Microplastics
Summary
This USGS fact sheet describes the agency's efforts to monitor microplastics in lakes, rivers, and coastal waters across the United States in collaboration with federal, state, and local partners. It serves as a public communication document explaining the USGS role in national microplastics research.
First posted April 8, 2020 For additional information, contact: Director, New York Water Science CenterU.S. Geological Survey425 Jordan RoadTroy, NY 12180–8349 The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) is working with Federal, State, and local partners to monitor and evaluate microplastics in our lakes, rivers, and coastal waters. Microplastics are very small pieces of plastic, some-times so small that they cannot be seen with the naked eye. The USGS is taking an active role in monitoring and assessing our natural resources in New York and throughout the Nation. To support microplastics research, the USGS has created two laboratories to identify the type and quantity of microplastic particles in water, air, sediment, and animal life. These results will help decisionmakers learn about the presence and potential bioavailability of microplastics in ecosystems and public water supplies.