Polluting Plastic Waste Invades Great Lakes: Pacific Garbage Patch May Have a Rival

Plastic may not just be populating the massive "Great Pacific Garbage Patch" in the ocean; it could also be affecting the Great Lakes. Scientists have announced that this type of refuse is polluting the largest body of fresh water in the world, and could have major environmental consequences if something isn't done about it.

Plastic pollution can often go unnoticed by the casual observer due to its size. Yet many fish and birds mistake the plastic for food and accidentally swallow the substance. After examining the stomachs of fish in the Great Lakes, researchers found that they were consuming the plastic particles. Because 85 percent of the particles are smaller than two-tenths of an inch, though, it's difficult to properly clean up the waters.

The plastic pieces may be small, but they're certainly widespread. The researchers found between 1,500 and 1.7 million of these particles per square mile after sampling the waters of the Great Lakes. This means that there are more opportunities for fish to consume these particles, which may cause harmful toxins present in these plastics to enter the food chain.

It's not surprising that the Great Lakes are now receiving their share of issues. Plastic production has increased by 500 percent since 1980, and plastics now account for 80 to 90 percent of ocean pollution. While some of that pollution comes in the form of plastic bags, bottles and other trash, other sources include abrasive facial cleaners or synthetic fibers shed by clothing in the washing machine. These small pieces of plastic in particular can form a thin film across the surface of the water and could potentially expose fish and other marine wildlife to harmful chemicals. Scientists have actually found the presence of PBDEs, which are flame retardants found in plastics, in polar bears and other marine-based species in the Arctic.

Researchers have also found that plastic can greatly affect species like the albatross. This seafaring bird travels long distances to fish and find food for its young. Yet researchers have found disturbing evidence that the birds can't tell the difference between plastic and actual fish. Mother albatross instead feed their chicks pieces of trash, which eventually cause the young bird to starve to death.

Yet as bad as the plastic is in the oceans, it may be worse in the Great Lakes. Researchers found that the number of small particles of plastic in the lakes were 24 percent higher than in samples collected in the Southern Atlantic Ocean.

"The massive production of plastic and inadequate disposal has made plastic debris an important and constant pollutant on beaches and in oceans around the world," said Lorena M. Rios Mendoza, who spoke about the topic at the 245^th National Meeting & Exposition of the American Chemical Society, in a press release. "And the Great Lakes are not an exception."