Study shows widespread microplastic pollution in Chesapeake Bay, researchers call results "jarring"

A study was released Tuesday that showed widespread levels of microplastic pollution throughout the Chesapeake Bay and its surrounding tributaries. 

Researchers studied areas within the entire Chesapeake Bay watershed, which stretches across six different states: Maryland, Delaware, New York, Pennsylvania, Virginia and West Virginia. The watershed also receives flows from Washington, D.C. 

The PennEnvironment Research & Policy Center led the study, with assistance from several other research institutions and individuals. The goal was to access the current level of microplastics on the watershed and the possible effects they have on the environment and people served by the Chesapeake Bay.

Microplastics are tiny pieces of plastic that measure less than 5mm in length. The material is created when larger plastic objects break down in the environment into smaller and smaller pieces over time.  

The scientists conducting the research said the study speaks to how widespread microplastics expansion is causing major pollution across numerous oceans and waterways around the world. 

Overwhelming driver is massive levels of plastic waste

The main driver of the expansion is the massive amount of plastic discarded by humans, the researchers said. They estimated that Americans alone generate an estimated 35 million tons of plastic waste annually. Of that amount, only about 6% is recycled. 

"A growing area of concern regarding our plastic waste is the environmental and public health threat posed by these microplastics," the scientists wrote in the study. "They are severe suffocation and starvation hazards to wildlife and have been found in our air, food, and bodies."

While the levels of microplastics present in water samples are well-documented, more research is needed "to fill in gaps around the full scope of health effects of microplastics in humans," the study says. 

The team collected samples from the Chesapeake Bay watershed and tested them for four kinds of microplastic pollution. These included fibers, fragments, film and beads. 

The researchers described results of the research as "jarring." They said 100% of waterways they sampled contained microfibers, while 93% of areas had microfragment material. About 47% of sampled areas had microfilm, and 27% of surveyed sites contained microbeads. 

Researchers urge leaders to take action to curb microplastics

The study calls on leaders at the federal, state and local levels to take action now to help reduce the amount of microplastics pollution through measures meant to reduce single-use plastics and plastic packaging. 

One proposal is for states to create "producer responsibility laws" that would aim to "shift the burden of dealing with this hard to recycle waste onto the corporations creating it in the first place," the study says.

In addition, states within the Chesapeake Bay watershed should approve "water bills," which offers financial incentives for companies and consumers to recycle plastics.

The researchers also called on the U.S. Congress to approve measures "to make programs like producer responsibility for packaging and bottle deposits more widespread and shift the burden onto those who create the pollution."

And states in the watershed should join municipalities within those states to "pass laws that phase out unnecessary single-use plastics such as polystyrene food service products, single-use plastic bags, and plastic utensils (where these policies are not already in existence)."