A new study from the Rochester University revealed that almost 22 million pounds, or 10,000 metric tons, of plastic waste from the United States and Canada enter the Great Lakes every year.
The study, published in the journal Marine Pollution Bulletin, showed that the plastic debris moves between the Great Lakes and across interstate and international borders. Unlike the floating “garbage patches” found in the ocean, plastics in the Great Lakes are carried by persistent winds and lake currents to the shore, washing it up in another state or country.
For the study, the researchers used data from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Great Lakes Coastal Forecast System. By applying mathematical models to…
