Starting July 1, 2017, manufacturers will no longer be allowed to include plastic microbeads in personal care and cosmetic products. The House and Senate passed legislation establishing the ban earlier this month, and President Barack Obama signed the final bill yesterday. Previously, several states banned microbeads and major retail chains such as Wegmans announced plans […]
microplastics
Posted inNews & Opinion
Plastics found in Great Lakes fish
When researchers discovered that the Great Lakes are polluted with tiny plastic fragments, likely from consumer personal care products, they also suspected that birds and fish are ingesting the fragments. But they didn’t have hard evidence. Until now. Sam Mason, the SUNY Fredonia chemistry professor who has led the study of plastics pollution in the […]
Posted inNews & Opinion
Paper details plastics pollution in several Great Lakes
Researchers have released a new paper on microplastics in the Great Lakes and in it they say that the concentration of plastic fragments in many cases exceeds that of the world’s oceans. The paper was written by researchers from the 5 Gyres Institute and SUNY Fredonia and covers samples from Lakes Superior, Huron, and Erie. […]
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Great Lakes: progress and problems
The Great Lakes are much better than they used to be in terms of the presence of toxic pollutants like mercury and DDT. New laws and a healthy amount of public awareness have helped restore the lakes. But challenges still exist; the Great Lakes face an evolving list of environmental threats and problems.
