Fall 2023 • Issue 19

Plastic Pollution

Published November 2023

This issue on Plastic Pollution addresses the pervasive challenge of microplastics through a holistic lens, examining the problem from source to ecological risk assessment. It explores frameworks for monitoring these contaminants while highlighting successful cross-border efforts like citizen science cleanups that prevent pollution from reaching the African Great Lakes. Beyond technical analysis, the content integrates creative approaches through science-arts collaborations and reviews lessons learned from a decade of research, underscoring the complex nexus between plastics, algae, and ecosystem health across freshwater systems.

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Features

A ripple effect caused by a science-arts-cultural collaboration

The Synthetic Collective's collaboration between scientists and artists has raised awareness of plastic pollution in the Great Lakes through exhibitions, data visualization, and the discovery of plastiglomerate.

Developing frameworks for monitoring and assessing the ecological risk of microplastics in the Laurentian Great Lakes

The IJC's Great Lakes Science Advisory Board is developing coordinated frameworks for monitoring microplastics and assessing their ecological risks in the Laurentian Great Lakes basin.

Plastic pollution

Plastic pollution is a full life-cycle issue, from fossil fuel extraction to end-of-life, with significant impacts on the Great Lakes and human health, requiring systemic solutions beyond just recycling.

Clean Shores, Great Lakes

The Clean Shores, Great Lakes project mobilized thousands of volunteers to clean up plastic litter from Tanzanian shorelines, using citizen science to identify hotspots and advocate for policy change.

Departments

Member Spotlight

Lisa Sonnenburg

Lisa Sonnenburg manages cultural resources for the Lake Superior National Marine Conservation Area, documenting and protecting submerged archaeological landscapes through collaboration with Indigenous communities.

Member Spotlight

Harris Phiri

Harris Phiri, a retired fisheries director from Zambia, shares his extensive experience in Lake Tanganyika research and his passion for conservation and interacting with the global aquatic science community.

Member Spotlight

Heather Dettman

Heather Dettman serves as a Senior Science Advisor for Natural Resources Canada, leading research on oil spill science and petroleum products to protect water resources.

Research Brief

Research unearths microplastics and algae nexus in the Great Lakes

Research reveals that microplastics can trigger the release of substances from cyanobacteria, altering buoyancy and potentially fueling harmful algal blooms, creating a complex nexus between plastics and algae.

Research Brief

Litter to pollution in Great Lakes: Levels and factors

Stormwater runoff studies show that low-income and commercial areas contribute significantly higher amounts of macro-litter and microplastics to the Great Lakes, highlighting the need for targeted waste management.

Research Brief

Learning from the last decade of microplastics research in the Laurentian Great Lakes

A synthesis of a decade of microplastics research in the Great Lakes reveals widespread contamination but highlights the need for standardized monitoring methods and risk assessment frameworks.