Microplastics in Lake Tahoe

Microplastics, small fragments of fibers from clothing, packaging, and other plastic residue have invaded freshwater lakes and watersheds globally and in alarming quantities.
According to new research published in the scientific journal Nature, Lake Tahoe, known for its purity and high level of legal protection had the third highest concentration of plastic of 38 lakes tested around the world and higher than in the surface water at the ocean’s gyres (i.e., a system of rotating ocean currents) where the floating islands of debris emblematic of the world’s plastic pollution crisis collect.
Article co-author, Sudeep Chandra, a professor at the University of Nevada, Reno conducted the study with lead author Veronica Nava from the University of University of Milano-Bicocca in Milan, Italy and other researchers from around the world.
Hear from Dr. Chandra about the research behind microplastics on Lake Tahoe and the steps we can take to reduce the negative impact microplastics have on our natural resources.