Wild swimmers in the Great Lakes are risking their health due to alarming levels of microplastic pollution, scientists have claimed in a new report.
Researchers from the International Joint Commission's Great Lakes Science Advisory Board are urging the US and Canadian governments to take immediate action over microplastics, which they found to be 'ubiquitous' in the lakes' water and resources.
Microplastics are minute, often invisible to the eye, chunks of plastic that are toxic to humans. They have been linked to serious health issues like infertility, colon cancer, and poor lung function. Microplastics shed off anything containing plastic and are particularly common in highly populated areas.
They can enter humans via ingestion, inhalation, and skin contact.
Alongside exposure while swimming, Great Lakes locals are also at risk from nearby drinking water sources and eating fish from the lakes, the report claims. The microplastic levels in Great Lakes fish are among the "highest reported worldwide", it said.
Levels are particularly dangerous in the most popular lakes, Michigan and Ontario, which attract regular visitors all year round.
Neither the US nor Canadian governments regularly test for microplastics in the Great Lakes, as they do for mercury and other hazardous pollutants.
The Great Lakes Science Advisory Board is urging the U.S. and Canadian governments begin regular coordinated testing immediately.
The report said: "Such monitoring is critical for quantifying microplastic sources and emissions and understanding their transport and fate in the Great Lakes."
The report calls for a new real-time pollution data system, so swimmers can make an informed decision about whether they feel it's safe to take a dip.
Spanning 94,250 square miles / 244,106km2 across the United States and Canada, the Great Lakes are the largest freshwater lake system in the world, measured by surface area.
The five lakes are visited by millions each year and host a sprawl of wild swimming clubs and events.
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