AN EYE-OPENING STUDY
by The Tahoe Environmental Research Center
The Winter 2017-2018 Newsletter from The Tahoe Environmental Research Center included an enlightening article about microplastics in Lake Tahoe. The article explains:
“Microplastics, plastic particles less than 5 mm long, have received a lot of attention recently due to their presence in the oceans and in drinking water. While microplastics in marine environments has been extensively studied, their impact on freshwater systems is not well known.”
“Microplastics can come as:
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Fibers - like those from synthetic fleece jackets.
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Microbeads - found in some exfoliating face and body washes.
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Fragments - smaller bits of larger plastic items.
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Foam - from coolers or takeout containers.
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Nurdles - the pelletized raw material used to manufacture of plastic goods.
Fibers and microbeads typically originate from residential wastewater and nurdles can enter water systems through spills during shipment.
Since no wastewater flows into Lake Tahoe and no shipping operations occur on the water, the main types of microplastics found here are likely to be fragments and foam.”
A study was done last summer to investigate the presence of microplastics in and around Lake Tahoe beaches. The study analyzed sand samples from different beaches around the lake, including Hidden Beach, Commons Beach, D.L. Bliss State Park and Baldwin Beach.
“The results confirmed the presence of microplastics in the lake and surrounding beaches. This was not surprising as we have all seen large quantities of plastic trash on Tahoe’s beaches.”
“Microplastics in Lake Tahoe are completely avoidable,” says Katie Senft, TREC Researcher. “Their presence is a direct result of litter and mismanaged waste.”
We learned from the article that
we can all take part in fixing this problem.
It’s important that we all do something to reverse this trend. A few suggestions:
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Refuse single-use plastic that you do not need (such as straws, bags, single-use water bottles).
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Reduce the amount that you do use (bring a refillable coffee mug or food container).
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Clean and reuse plastic items whenever possible (such as zip lock bags).
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Ensure that plastics are disposed of properly or recycled whenever possible.
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If you do see trash on the beach, pick it up to prevent it from breaking down further.
Source: The Tahoe Environmental Research Center (TERC) Winter 2018-2019 Newsletter