Microplastics

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SCHIAVONEA, CORIGLIANO ROSSANO, CALABRIA, ITALY - 2019/03/02: A detail of microplastics along the Schiavonea beach, transported by the Ionian sea during the last sea storm. The force of the sea storm lifted the microplastics from the seabed and carried it to the beach. The microplastics are one of the major elements of pollution of the seas that is killing even many fish of all sizes and also comes to humans right through the fish. (Photo by Alfonso Di Vincenzo/KONTROLAB /LightRocket via Getty Images)

Microplastics are tiny particles that result from both commercial products and the breakdown of larger plastics. As a pollutant, microplastics can be harmful to humans, the environment, and animal health.

Microplastics are getting more attention here in the Columbia basin—researchers at PSU are hoping to understand how they cycle through our water and air. The sources may surprise you! Hopefully, with a better understanding of where microplastics come from, we can all do our part to keep them out of our rivers.

Learn more about PSU’s work here: https://www.opb.org/article/2022/06/21/researchers-track-microplastic-pollution-columbia-river-basin/

https://education.nationalgeographic.org/resource/microplastics

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Follow the Water

Follow the Water

Follow the Water is about our relationship with our rivers. It’s about connecting people with our water—where we live, work, and play. It’s also about connecting our behaviors to the rivers so we understand that what we do affects water—both positively and negatively. Follow the Water is about learning and sharing new ways to be better to our water with your friends and neighbors.
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