Lehigh River water tests show why we need to eliminate single-use plastics | Letter
Updated Apr 05, 2021;
For most of my life I assumed that I was blessed with access to clean water. I recently learned that for decades our water here in Pennsylvania has increasingly become contaminated with microplastics, which are tiny pieces of plastic smaller than a grain of rice.
The PennEnvironment Research & Policy Center recently published a study testing over 50 rivers, lakes and streams for microplastics. These microplastics were found in every waterway tested, even our own Lehigh River.
Our rivers and streams in Pennsylvania are contaminated because our society has embraced a disposable culture, meaning we use something once and throw it away.