Synthetic microplastic particles are found in aquatic systems and they can be considered as emerging micro-pollutants. The incidence and accumulation of microplastics (< 5mm) create significant risks to the ocean and now the Great Lakes environment because of the known potential of these microplastics to adsorb persistent organic pollutants that can harm aquatic organisms. An alarm has emerged with the discovery of plastic not visible by the naked eye on the Great Lakes waters. Plastic photodegrades so slowly that it effectively never disappears, it only disperses. Lake Superior has visible plastic debris on remote and otherwise pristine beaches and shorelines. The objective of this research is to provide a basic assessment of the pollution caused by microplastic debris in the Great Lakes waters. The results presented are from 17 samples collected from August 18-27, 2013 in the Great Lakes waters as well as the analysis of 110 stomachs of fish from Lake Superior (Summer, 2012), 250 stomachs from Lake Erie (Summer, 2013), and 80 samples from shores of Lake Superior in the states of Minnesota and Wisconsin. The plastic debris collected was classified by color, size, and chemical composition of the synthetic polymer.

Synthetic microplastics in the Great Lakes: Are fish eating them?

247th National Meeting (2014)

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