Microplastics affecting regional ecosystems

By Alexandra Latremouille/Converged Citizen Staff

Scientists say microplastics are spreading through ecosystems in the Great Lakes and possibly other waterways surrounding Windsor.

In 2012, Great Lakes researchers found 85 per cent of plastic debris in the waters were microplastics. Due to its prevalence and egg-like appearance, fish, such as yellow perch, are ingesting them, according to researchers at Project Aware, a group seeking to protect international waterways.

Microplastics are small plastic particles between one and five millimetres in size, often present in cleaning products. Because of their chemical composition they are not easily broken down.

“Microplastics are present in the environment at levels that are a little bit surprising,” said Ken Drouillard, associate professor at the Great Lakes Institute for Environmental Research. “What we do know is these things have effects at the lower food web. Plankton will consume them and birds and fish will consume larger plastic. They’ll have these things in their guts and that can affect their digestive physiology.”

Although the contaminant’s effects on aquatic life are still being examined, some have been confirmed. A 2013 study by Stephanie Wright, a researcher at the University of Exeter, found marine worms’ energy decreased by 30 per cent after ingesting the plastic. This ultimately caused a lack of appetite and starvation.

According to Drouillard, it is also possible for micro-plastics to absorb and concentrate pollutants.

“We understand that these plastics interact with other types of contaminants,” said Drouillard. “These include PCBs and other hydrophilic chemicals like DDT and that may modify how these chemicals actually move through food webs.”

Although fish would primarily be affected by this, he also said humans could ingest toxins indirectly. For example, if the beads cause the movement of PCBs from sediments in the food web, fish consumption advisories could be put in place.

According to Paul Drca, manager of the environmental quality with the City of Windsor, being educated on the topic can help prevent the spread of such toxins in humans. However, this will not solve the problem.

“I think the answer to this problem will have to be sorted at higher levels of government,” said Drca. “It lies with the restriction [of products containing microbeads]. To my knowledge, this issue is not directly treatable. We can’t just remove the bits from our waterways.”

Drca also said he encourages the use of micro-plastic free products, such as those by Unilever, the Body Shop and Johnson and Johnson.

“Regional ecosystems and water treatment systems were not designed to deal with this problem,” said Drca. “Not everything people flush down the drain can be treated.”