Organization calls for action on 'microplastics' pollution in Great Lakes

October 30, 2013

TRAVERSE CITY, Mich. -- An organization representing more than 100 cities in Canada and the U.S. asked federal and industry officials in both countries Tuesday for action on the recently discovered problem of "microplastic" pollution in the Great Lakes.

Over the past two years, scientists have reported finding thousands of plastic bits -- some visible only under a microscope -- in the lakes that make up nearly one-fifth of the world's fresh surface water. Large masses of floating plastics also have been detected in the world's oceans.

Scientists believe some are abrasive "microbeads" used in personal care products such as facial and body washes, deodorants and toothpaste. They're so minuscule that they flow through screens at waste treatment plants and wind up in the lakes, where fish and aquatic birds might eat them, mistaking them for fish eggs. They also could absorb toxins.

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