Sea Grant warns of microplastics, cleans up Plattsburgh City Beach

By Kamiko Chamble

Microplastics — bits of plastic less than five millimeters in length — can cause harm to the environment, animals and humans. The bits are difficult to pick up, so the Lake Champlain Sea Grant Institute aims to help.

The Lake Champlain Sea Grant Institute, based in part at SUNY Plattsburgh, organized a microplastic clean up at Plattsburgh City Beach on Sunday, Sept. 22. 

This event was organized by Aude Lochet, water resources outreach specialist. By her side helping was Amelie Przedwiecki, a senior ecology major at SUNY Plattsburgh. 

Microplastics can be present in dust or airborne particles, they are exposed through water, air, seafood, and more. These particles can cause harm when ingested. 

Microplastics come from particles left over when larger plastic waste, such as water bottles and packaging, breaks down in the environment. They also come from tiny particles that are produced to be used in cosmetics and other products. 

The plastics hurt the environment because they contain toxic substances such as bisphenol, which gets absorbed into the body and can result in a number of endocrine and reproductive system disorders, according to the National Institutes of Health.

At the beach there were five boxes that were one square meter each, that Przedwiecki and Lochet dug through and searched. On each box they went one inch deep and put their findings in a small container. 

It is challenging to limit the impact of microplastics once they are in the environment because they disperse by wind and water currents. They have an impact on a variety of habitats, including soil, the atmosphere and oceans, due to their global spread. 

Fish populations may decline as a result of contaminated marine environments, which would be detrimental to fisheries. Polluted waterways and beaches can also discourage tourists, which can result in financial losses for coastal municipalities. 

Plankton and other microscopic species harbor microplastics, which larger animals eat. The concentration of microplastics rises throughout the food chain, affecting larger predators and eventually humans who eat seafood.

Ten students, including Przedwiecki, signed up, but no others showed. The turnout of this event may not have been what everyone expected, but Lochet and Przedwiecki persevered on their own. 

See more photos on This Week in Photos.