Researchers found that nearly 10,000 metric tons -- or 22 million pounds -- of plastic debris enter the Great Lakes every year from the United States and Canada. "This study is the first picture of the true scale of plastic pollution in the Great Lakes," Hoffman said. In their study, Hoffman and co-author Eric Hittinger, assistant professor of public policy at RIT, report that half of the plastic pollution entering the Great Lakes -- 5,000 metrics tons per year -- goes into Lake Michigan, followed by Lake Erie with 2,500 metric tons and Lake Ontario with 1,400 metric tons. Prior observational studies measured localized concentrations of plastic pollution in the open water, tributaries and along the shorelines. Major population centers are the primary sources of plastic pollution in the Great Lake system, with Chicago, Toronto, Cleveland and Detroit releasing more plastic particles than accumulate on their shorelines.
"Most of the particles from Chicago and Milwaukee end up accumulating on the eastern shores of Lake Michigan, while the particles from Detroit and Cleveland end up along the southern coast of the eastern basin of Lake Erie," Hoffman said.
I believe this to be an important topic because, plastic does not dissolve quickly, it take years for it to dissolve completely. Animlas in the lakes like fishes, birds, etc are eating the plastic and when scientists open their stomachs, they find alot of plastic. A similar problem to this is the plastic in the ocean. We already have plastic in oceans, we don't need more plastic in lakes. We need to stop the plastic that is getting into our waters by recycling more and by takeing care of what we throw on the ground.
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2016/12/161219151752.htm
"Most of the particles from Chicago and Milwaukee end up accumulating on the eastern shores of Lake Michigan, while the particles from Detroit and Cleveland end up along the southern coast of the eastern basin of Lake Erie," Hoffman said.
I believe this to be an important topic because, plastic does not dissolve quickly, it take years for it to dissolve completely. Animlas in the lakes like fishes, birds, etc are eating the plastic and when scientists open their stomachs, they find alot of plastic. A similar problem to this is the plastic in the ocean. We already have plastic in oceans, we don't need more plastic in lakes. We need to stop the plastic that is getting into our waters by recycling more and by takeing care of what we throw on the ground.
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2016/12/161219151752.htm