Toronto's Don River Carries Microplastics into Lake Ontario
Researchers at the University of Toronto have found that Toronto's Don River carries over 500 billion microplastic particles into Lake Ontario each year, equivalent to about 36,000 kilograms.
This amount is comparable to the weight of 18 cars, highlighting the significant impact of microplastics on the environment.
- The study, published in the journal Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society A, examines how litter from city streets travels through rivers to wetlands, lakes, and oceans.
- Reducing the use of single-use plastics can significantly prevent litter from entering rivers and other aquatic ecosystems, according to the researchers.
Reducing the use of single-use plastics has a significant impact on preventing litter from entering rivers and other aquatic ecosystems.
Author's summary: Toronto's Don River pollutes Lake Ontario with microplastics.