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Microplastics in the Aquatic Environment
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This educational overview described microplastic pollution in the Great Lakes and inland freshwater systems, explaining what microplastics are, how they enter waterways, and why their presence in drinking water sources is a growing concern for human health and ecosystems.
Sarah A. Zack - Pollution Prevention Extension Specialist, Illinois-Indiana Sea Grant (IISG) and University of Illinois Extension. The ecosystem impact of microplastics, a type of land-based marine debris that includes particles less than 5 millimeters in size, is of growing interest in the Great Lakes and other inland waters. Microplastic pollution in freshwater systems is still an emerging science and researchers have just begun to describe its scope, abundance, and distribution. There is still much to be learned about its long-term effects, including impacts to aquatic food webs. Since 2012, Illinois-Indiana Sea Grant (IISG) has been working to conduct and fund research and educate the public about microplastic pollution. IISG is dedicated to supporting continued research on emerging contaminants such as microplastics, and recognizes that there is a need for more information to determine the long-term effects of this pollution on Midwestern lakes and rivers. This seminar will discuss freshwater microplastic sources and types, relevant chemical and physical properties, and potential impacts, as well as provide an overview of the work done by IISG to address this emerging contaminant.
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Microplastic Pollution in the Aquatic Environment
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This book chapter surveys microplastic pollution in North American aquatic environments, reviewing contamination levels in rivers, lakes, and coastal waters and discussing human health exposure through drinking water and seafood consumption.
Microplastics Are Contaminants of Emerging Concern in Freshwater Environments: An Overview
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This overview examines the emerging problem of microplastic contamination in freshwater environments, covering sources, occurrence, and potential effects on aquatic ecosystems. The authors discuss how microplastics enter lakes and rivers through wastewater treatment plants, runoff, and degradation of larger plastic debris. The review highlights that freshwater microplastic pollution deserves the same research attention as marine contamination, given that rivers serve as major transport pathways for plastics reaching the ocean.
A survey on the effect of plastic pollution in the Great Lakes
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This review surveys plastic pollution in the Great Lakes of North America, examining the distribution of micro-, meso-, and macroplastics across these ecologically and economically important freshwater systems. The Great Lakes contain significant quantities of microplastics from surrounding urban and industrial areas, threatening freshwater biodiversity and drinking water quality.
Microplastic Contamination, an Emerging Threat to the Freshwater Environment and Human Health: A Systematic Review
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This systematic review summarizes existing research on microplastic contamination in freshwater environments and its implications for human health. The evidence shows that microplastics are widespread in rivers, lakes, and drinking water sources, and they can absorb toxic chemicals, making freshwater plastic pollution a direct concern for the safety of our water supply.
Microplastics pollution in water is a threat for human health and the environment (literature review)
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This literature review examines the growing problem of microplastic contamination in water bodies and drinking water worldwide. Evidence indicates that microplastics pose concerns for human health both through their physical effects and through the chemicals and microorganisms they can carry, with studies confirming their presence in marine and freshwater environments across multiple countries.
Research digests by email
When a large batch of papers lands in the Atlas, we read through it and send a short write-up of what stood out.