Research from the Global Lake Ecological Observatory Network finds that freshwater environments like lakes and reservoirs have higher concentrations of plastic than oceanic garbage patches, with human interaction identified as the main contributing factor. The study stresses the vulnerability of densely populated areas and water bodies with high human influence to plastic contamination.
Around 14 million tons of plastic end up in the ocean every year. But that is not the only water source where plastic represents a significant intrusion.
“We found microplastics in every lake we sampled,” said Ted Harris, associate research professor for the Kansas Biological Survey & Center for Ecological Research at the University of Kansas.
“Some of these lakes you think of as clear, beautiful vacation spots. But we discovered such places to be perfect examples of the link between plastics and humans.”