At the John Heinz National Wildlife Refuge visitors center, a sculpture of a great blue heron made from recycled plastic bottles greets guests. Standing 12 feet tall, the bird draws attention to the problem of plastic pollution in the refuge and surrounding city.
In a recent study, scientists at Penn State University revealed the more insidious side of plastic pollution at the 1,000-acre refuge, an urban oasis known as a birders’ haven. After analyzing sediment samples taken at Heinz and three other watersheds across Pennsylvania, the study found increasing levels of microplastics from the 1950s to the 21st century, consistent with the boom in worldwide plastic production that continues today.The data shows that freshwater sediment acts as a “sink” for microplastics to accumulate over time. Microplastics are small plastic particles, less than 5 millimeters across, that are manufactured for specific products or created when larger plastic products break down.
Lisa Emili, an associate professor of environmental studies at Penn State Altoona and a co-author of the study, said the results were surprising. Emili said she was not expecting to find microplastics in the samples taken from a reservoir in rural central Pennsylvania. More of this article (Inside Climate News) - link - more like this (Philadelphia) - link - more like this (microplastics) - link
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