The LHCC (Lake Huron Coastal Centre) recently released a report that the concentration of plastics in Lake Huron is among the highest in the world, with some areas having more plastic than the North Pacific Garbage Patch. With approximately 22 million pounds of plastic entering the Great Lakes yearly, this is a problem that isn’t going away anytime soon.
Photo courtesy of LHCC.
The extent of the plastic pollution in the Great Lakes is a matter of concern. Large amounts of plastic waste have a detrimental effect on aquatic ecosystems and come at a substantial cost to the environment as well as having an economic effect on society (cost of clean up, depleted fisheries, reduced tourism, clean up efforts etc.).
The Great Lakes are an integral ecosystem providing water for millions of people as well as supporting a large amount of the local population economically. Further research needs to be done to determine the sources of the pollution and the extent to which the plastic is affecting wildlife (aquatic and terrestrial) and the freshwater used for drinking.
See the full report here.
Photo courtesy of LHCC.
