A 2019 report by Ocean Wise in Vancouver estimated the average Canadian household releases 533 million microfibres from laundry every year and an estimated 878 tonnes of microfibres are released to water … Air pollution is on the rise and could be taking a toll on your health. Actions by individuals, communities and industry can also make a big difference, said Ms. Bayard.
As the official keepers of Manitoulin’s history, help us keep you informed on the stories and events that matter. Rennie, along with Chelsea Rochman from the Rochman Lab at the University of Toronto and Diane Orehil from Queen’s University, are two years into a microplastics experiment at ELA. Sound is a natural part of our surroundings, but when sounds become unwanted and loud, they can turn into noise pollution. Severe thunderstorm warning in effect for: Blind River - ThessalonManitoulin Island At 4:10 p.m. EDT, Environment...Plastic pollution in Lake Huron: Part II of a seriesSign up for The Manitoulin Expositor Friday Edition Newsletter Guest Blogger: Allison Robertson, Queen’s University StudentMicroplastics are small pieces of plastic particles that are < 5 mm in size. This occurs not only through waterways and shorelines from litter of degradation plastics, but also from microplastics found in hygiene products and clothing.
Many fish and bird species mistake plastics as food and consume microplastics which are found in sand. These plastics are so small that they are very hard to filter out before they reach Lake Ontario. They can be carried on air currents so they can be deposited in northern regions. “I have fish that I’ve raised since eggs and we’re raising them for their full lifecycle. Microfibres that shed from clothing during laundering are a significant source to waterbodies. Ambassador to Canada Kelly Craft on the occasion of Canada Day 2019Statement by U.S. Since natural fibers might contain one-third chemicals by weight that likely will impact how long it takes to break down. Does it just get buried in the sediment and that’s it? Share on Facebook Share on Twitter. Coordinator for the Arctic Region Officials in Canada and the U.S. have signed a new plan to regulate water levels and flows in Lake Ontario and the St. Lawrence River that they say will help restore coastal ecosystems. Microplastics have been found in the Great Lakes on shorelines and in surface water and lake floor sediments, said Samantha Bayard, spokesperson for Environment and Climate Change Canada.
Furthermore, microplastics end up in our food, drinking water and even in the air. Some of Ms. Erdle’s work involves looking at fish from Lake Ontario and Lake Huron.Microfibres that shed from clothing during laundering are a significant source to waterbodies. “That’s where the whole ecosystem approach becomes really valuable instead of just running beaker based experiments in labs.”Lisa Erdle is a Ph.D. student at the Rochman Lab where she has been specifically looking at microplastics in fish. The experiment will wrap up later this summer or early this fall with initial results expected in the fall.Her current work is supported by the Department of Fisheries and Oceans (DFO), in collaboration with Ministry of the Environment and Climate Change (MOECC) and Environment Canada and Climate Change (ECCC). A 2020 report estimated that one percent of plastic waste enters the environment in Canada, which accounted for 29,000 tonnes of plastic pollution in 2016. She was finding a lot of microfibres so her research has focused on microfibres that shed from our clothing and what their effects are to aquatic species. For example, different cosmetics and hygiene products that contain microplastics are: toothpaste, body cleansers, and facial washes. The Canada-Ontario Lake Erie Action Plan was also developed to reduce the amount of phosphorus entering Lake Erie, and address the growth of toxic and nuisance algae. The Lake Ontario ewide Actio na d Management Plan (LAMP) is a binational ecosystem-based action plan to restore and protect the water quality of Lake Ontario and its connecting river systems, the Niagara and St. Lawrence Rivers. “Before I started my work I had no idea that a single load of laundry could release hundreds of thousands of microfibres,” said Ms. Erdle.