Microplastics from clothing found in earthworms in the Boundary Waters

The Boundary Waters is a million acre wilderness area straddling the US and Canadian border between Minnesota and Ontario. This past summer, a team of researchers from the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire collected earthworms, and water and soil samples near campsites and remote areas, and found microplastics everywhere. One earthworm had 80 pieces alone. What they discovered is that most of the microplastics came from fibers that can be shed from synthetic clothing and fabric. Microplastics in worms can impact the entire food chain. If you wear fleece and other synthetic fabrics, you can cut down on these particles from getting into the environment. I’ll have more on that in tomorrow’s Green Tip.

Microplastics from clothing found in earthworms in the Boundary Waters