"The peer-reviewed study published Thursday estimates the Don River basin flushes about 500 billion particles of microplastics, with a mass of about 36,000 kilograms, into the lake each year. That's far more than the estimated 160 kilograms of larger plastic items. "I was pretty shocked to see that levels that we see here are more on par with places that don't have as good of waste management," said co-author Chelsea Rochman, an expert on plastics pollution and associate professor at the University of Toronto."
"Microplastics, no bigger than a pencil eraser and down to particles smaller than what's visible with the human eye, have become ubiquitous and shown up everywhere from human blood to Arctic Sea ice. The broken-down bits of larger plastics have been linked to a suite of issues in wildlife, including lower levels of fish growth and reproduction, while also raising concerns about possible human health impacts."
The Don River basin flushes about 500 billion microplastic particles, amounting to roughly 36,000 kilograms, into Lake Ontario each year. That mass is roughly equivalent to the microplastics from about 18 cars annually. Larger plastic items entering the lake total about 160 kilograms per year. Microplastics range from eraser-sized pieces to particles invisible to the naked eye and appear in environments from human blood to Arctic sea ice. Sources in the Don River include construction foam, tire wear, plastic pellets, and fragments from single-use plastics. Bags and wet wipes are the most common large plastic items, each accounting for about 20 percent.
Read at www.cbc.ca
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