Microplastics Found in Illinois Waterways
Plastics are an integral part of everyday life. They have revolutionized medicine, making single-use medical devices possible. They’re critical in food preservation. Plastics are even essential to transportation like buses, cars, and planes. The same durability that makes plastic so useful is also why they pose a threat: they break down into microplastics, which can enter cells and cause damage to cell tissues. They also reduce water retention in soil, which hinders plant growth. Toxic chemicals associated with microplastics can also leach into the water, reducing the water quality and causing great harm to those ecosystems.
This May, a survey on Microplastics found at least one type of microplastic at every site they tested throughout Chicago and Illinois. These microplastics act as an invisible form of pollution because they are a threat to existing ecosystems and to human health, as they find their way into Lake Michigan, where many of us get our drinking water. Also, as microplastics enter organisms, they make their way up the food chain, eventually reaching us in the food we eat. Microplastics have been found in numerous areas of human bodies, including the brain.
Scientists have only just begun to examine how microplastics are affecting us and the planet, so variables such as size, type, and shape of plastic are yet to be heavily studied. It's also difficult to study specific substances because more than 10,000 chemicals are used to create plastic. There is a way to go, but what we know now is that there are significant harms of microplastics to humans and the environment, and we must all be aware of these invisible particles.
In the meantime, the LWV Chicago’s Environmental Advocacy Committee (EAC) has been working hard to help pass policies to ban polystyrene foam foodware and keep unnecessary plastic out of your takeout bag. There are also efforts underway to require monthly testing of Lake Michigan for microplastics. Other Chicago advocates are working towards green stormwater infrastructure to catch plastic debris before it enters local waterways.
However, it’s not just the policy that counts; there are also many small actions that everyone can take.
Plastic Free Summer: tips and resources that you can use to limit plastics in everyday life
Never microwave plastics (even if it says microwavable safe!) because heat accelerates the degradation of plastics into microplastics and nanofibers
Choose clothes with 100% natural fibers like cotton, linen, wool, or hemp to ensure that there is no microfiber runoff
Carry a reusable water bottle in your bag
Buy materials like office/school supplies and food in bulk to limit the plastic waste of packaging
Keep reusable bags in your car and by your door for shopping trips
For information on how to individually reduce your plastic exposure, please visit our Tips & Tricks for Sustainable Living. And if you want more please join the EAC’s meetings on the second Monday of every month @ 4:30pm, email environment@lwvchicago.org for the Zoom link.