PennEnvironment Report Reveals Widespread Microplastic Contamination in Delaware River Watershed
A new report by the PennEnvironment Research and Policy Center, in collaboration with researchers from the Academy of Natural Sciences of Drexel University, has found microplastics in every water sample taken from 22 waterways within the Delaware River watershed. This includes significant bodies of water such as the Delaware River, the Schuylkill River, and the Brandywine Creek. The study highlights that microplastics are persistent across the entire watershed, affecting areas from the Poconos to the Jersey Shore and the Delaware Bay. The report emphasizes that plastics, which do not biodegrade, break down into smaller microplastic fragments that persist in the environment and accumulate in living organisms. These particles are discharged from industrial facilities and wastewater treatment plants, and also enter waterways through biosolids application on land, stormwater runoff, and improper waste disposal. People can also be exposed to microplastics through plastic bottles, cosmetics, and synthetic clothi...
