The term microplastic was coined in 2004 by a marine biologist named Richard Thompson to describe plastic particles smaller than 5 millimeters and larger than 1 nanometer. Despite the naming in the early 2000’s, microplastics have accumulated since the first plastic was created in the early 1900s and skyrocketed with the mass production of plastic in the mid 1900s.
Recent studies have sparked public concern over the existence of microplastics. Outcry comes as these pollutants do not biodegrade; instead, they fragment into smaller pieces. Once they are dispersed, microplastics are virtually impossible to remove. These particles have been found in our bodies, our food, waterways, and wildlife as isolated as the Arctic Circle.
In 2022, a year-long study was conducted by Dr. Xiong Xiong and published in the scientific journal of Environmental Pollution, on the presence of microplastics in Flathead Lake. The findings state that Flathead Lake contains microplastics at a lower concentration than lakes in urban areas, but similar to or higher concentrations of pollutants than lakes in less densely populated areas.
Microplastic pollution in not just Flathead Lake, but all of our waterways, enters our food chain as it can be mistaken for bugs or plankton and ingested by aquatic life. Once ingested it can lead to health problems for aquatic life by causing intestinal blockages, consumption of toxins, and contamination of the food chain. Species in the Flathead basin are a food source for humans that live in the area, when the species are contaminated with microplastics, those pollutants are passed to humans through consumption.
More and more microplastics get into Flathead Lake every day. Degradation of large plastics creates these pollutants. Microplastics can be deposited into waterways via weather events, such as storm runoff carrying tire particles off of the roads into lakes, wind blowing plastic particles up into the air and dropping them in the water, and snow carrying airborne particulates down into the lake and surrounding areas.
Outside of natural factors, our household can put microplastics into our watershed. Fibers from synthetic textiles are the number one source of microplastics. The agitation of polyester clothing can create microplastic particles that are not filtered in water treatment plants and can make their way to our waterways.
There are many steps we can take to decrease our production of microplastics. One way we can do it is to reduce our consumption of single-use plastics. Americans buy 50 billion plastic water bottles a year. Replacing single use plastic water bottles with a reusable metal bottle will reduce our individual production of the particles. More steps could be to add a microplastic filter to our washing machine, or ensure proper disposal and recycling of plastic materials. Technological developments such as a 3-D printed robotic filter in the shape of a fish have shown promise in the filtration of plastic particles from bodies of water.
Scientists are still unsure of the severity of the long-term effects of the presence of microplastics in our ecosystems and the effects of long-term exposure on human health. Despite this uncertainty, about prolonged effects of microplastics, a majority of world leaders recognize this form of pollution as an issue. In March of 2022, 175 nations voted in favor of a global treaty for plastic pollution.