Microplastics found throughout Minnesota lakes, new report finds

Microplastics seem to be nearly everywhere, including, according to a recently released survey, Minnesota lakes.

The survey comes from the Environment Minnesota Research & Policy Center, an affiliate of the national public interest advocacy group PIRG. Following a protocol put out by microplastic scientists, staff and volunteers examined 40 waterways throughout Minnesota and identified microplastics in every lake sampled.

Melissa Maurer-Jones, an associate professor in the University of Minnesota Duluth’s chemistry and biochemistry department, said she was not surprised by the findings.

“The reality is, we live in a plastic world,” she said. “Lots of things that we use every day or wear on our bodies contain plastics. And just by the simple fact that there’s lots of uses of plastics, it