Groundbreaking research reveals microplastics are altering the very chemistry of the great lakes, creating a new toxic threat to drinking water.
Top 5 things you need to know about this
- Scientists have found that microplastics in the great lakes are actively leaching chemical additives that mimic hormones, a process sped up by sun exposure and wave action.
- The affected water, which provides drinking water for over 40 million people, now contains concentrations of these compounds that are up to 10 times higher than previously estimated.
- This chemical cocktail has been linked to a disruption in fish reproduction cycles, causing population declines in key species like walleye and perch.
- The phenomenon is worst near major cities like Chicago and Detroit, where runoff and wastewater treatment plants are the primary sources of the plastics.
- New filtration systems are being tested, but experts warn that current municipal water treatment plants are not equipped to remove these microscopic chemical threats.