A statewide survey found microplastics in 4 Centre County waterways. Here’s why that’s important
Following a concerning trend throughout the rest of Pennsylvania, four waterways in Centre County were found to have notable traces of microplastics, based on a statewide survey from an environmental group.
The organization, PennEnvironment Research & Policy Center, studied 53 rivers, streams and lakes across the state and announced Wednesday they found microplastics in all of them. Centre County was no exception — with three types of microplastics discovered in Buffalo Run, Cedar Run, Slab Cabin Run and Spring Creek.
“The results of this study should set off alarms for all Pennsylvanians who love our state’s rivers and streams,” said Faran Savitz, a conservation associate for the organization, during a virtual press conference Wednesday. “The staggering amount of microplastics we found likely means that no river or lake or stream is safe from this increasingly common contaminant.”
Plastic fibers, plastic fragments and plastic film — all smaller than a grain of rice — polluted each of the four surveyed local waterways. Statewide, fibers were found in 100% of waterways, fragments in 86.8% and film in 94.3%. (Plastic microbeads were found at only one of the 53 sites, in Bucks County’s Delaware River Canal.)
The impact of such microplastics on people’s health is not yet fully known, according to David Velinsky, the head of Drexel’s Department of Biodiversity, Earth and Environmental Science. But, officials said, studies suggest a negative impact on wildlife — such as plastics blocking animals’ digestive tracts or proving toxic — and Velinsky said he’d prefer if the commonwealth approach the issue with the “precautionary principle.”
“It’s better to play it safe than just sort of ignore where the science could take you on this,” said Velinsky, who also serves as the vice president for Drexel’s Academy of Natural Sciences. “It’s best to sort of make sure we’re playing it safe with human health and wildlife health before we just sort of blatantly say there’s no problem whatsoever.”
Savitz, the study’s author, emphasized that the report was designed to show the presence of microplastics — and not necessarily the prevalence. In other words, although 31 pieces of microplastic turned up in a quart of Spring Creek water, making it the third-highest amount in the state, Savitz cautioned not to read too much into those numbers.
He said the organization could not guarantee all variables were accounted for, making such comparisons potentially unfair — even if the methodology followed the guidelines developed by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. (Due to depth issues, for instance, samples could not be taken in the middle of all waterways.)
Still, local officials said the issue was worth researching further.
Centre County Commissioner Mike Pipe said he wanted to take a “deeper dive” into the study. He wondered aloud whether there was a noticeable change in the health of a community when it came to being surrounded by waterways with more microplastics, which are often so small they avoid being impacted by river clean-ups and other forms of conservation.
He also planned to consult with with ClearWater Conservancy and the Department of Environmental Protection “to see what could be done and how we could do it together.”
In State College, the issue of microplastics was broached during a borough council meeting on Monday. Although officials said microplastics are not routinely measured in the drinking water because the borough utilizes groundwater, which is often shielded from such issues, Pipe pointed out that’s not the case for other Centre County communities.
“It’s not just thinking about the quality of the water from a recreation standpoint,” Pipe added. “It becomes a health issue with how this water comes into contact with people.”
Officials at the policy center hoped Wednesday’s study might lead to more research and more politicians asking about the issue. The center also advocated for several pieces of legislation, such as the “Break Free From Plastic Pollution Act,” to help ban single-use plastics like drinking straws and Styrofoam containers. And it noted that environmentally conscious Pennsylvanians can install “microplastic filters” on their washing machines and municipalities can better capture runoff laced with microplastics to help the environment.
“The results, obviously, are not great,” U.S. Rep Mary Gay Scanlon said during the news conference. “But it’s great to have the hard data because that enables us to move forward, both at the state and federal level, to make the case for why we need to change.”
The full study can be found on pennenvironment.org. The organization will also host a webinar at 6 p.m. Thursday to further discuss the findings with acclaimed microplastics expert Sam Mason, a Penn State researcher.
