Microplastics are a growing global concern. Scientists agree that tiny particles from degraded plastic waste are ubiquitous, or completely widespread, across the planet and pose risks to the environment and human health.
Yet while oceans are often the focal point of this issue, microplastics are also highly prevalent in freshwater environments like Lake Erie. Much is unknown about how microplastics — and even smaller plastic particles called nanoplastics — interact with drinking water treatment in the region. Such information is needed to assess whether the particles present a potential public health risk.
Now, new research funded by Ohio Sea Grant is helping scientists and decision-makers better understand this issue. Led by Dr. John Lenhart of The Ohio State University’s College of Engineering alongside Ph.D. student Megan Jamison, the project is evaluating microplastics in water treatment plants along the shore of Lake Erie and analyzing how effective treatment processes are at removing the plastic particles.
“We’re conducting this research because of increasing evidence demonstrating the presence of microplastics in the environment and the food and drink people consume,” Lenhart said. “The overarching goal is to develop guidance for water treatment plants to effectively remove microplastics, particularly for plants in Ohio that use Lake Erie as their raw water.
Learn more >>
Photo: Megan Jamison, Ph. D. student at The Ohio State University, collects water from a drinking water treatment plant on Lake Erie in order to measure the presence of microplastics.
Story by Alex Meyer