We found microplastics in every lake we sampled

« 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. »

Harris is one of 79 researchers belonging to the international Global Lake Ecological Observatory Network (GLEON), which examines processes and phenomena occurring in freshwater environments. Their new paper, titled « Plastic debris in lakes and reservoirs, » reveals that concentrations of plastic found in freshwater environments are actually higher than those found in so-called « garbage patches » in the ocean. The article is published in Nature.

For his role, Harris teamed with Rebecca Kessler, his former student and recent KU graduate, to test two Kansas lakes (Clinton and Perry) and the Cross Reservoir at the KU Field Station.

« That entailed us going out, tolling a net with tiny little holes in it, dragging it for about two minutes, then collecting those samples of microplastics and sending them off to (the lead researchers), » Kessler said.