ERIE, Pa. — (ERIE, Pa.) -- It's been over a decade since researchers began looking into microplastics in the Great Lakes.
Now, the issue is getting renewed attention amid broader concerns about the potential effects of microplastics on the human body and a possible future link to the hydro-fracking boom currently happening in the region.
But the majority of plastic in Lake Erie is less than 5 millimeters in diameter, much of it approaching microscopic size"about the width of a human hair," Mason said. She describes it as a"smog" of particles drifting around, which also makes it impossible to meaningfully clean up. Before plastic gets pressed into a shape like a water bottle or bag, it starts off as plastic pellets that get fed into big machines.
The World Health Organization says that although more research is needed, so far it has found no direct evidence that microplastics make people sick. The Plastic Industry Association, which represents plastic makers, said in a statement that claims about microplastics"lack sound data," and that plastic is overwhelmingly safe. In fact, the association said, plastics are essential to hygiene, which is why it is in so many medical products.
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