PARRY SOUND, ON- If you want to know how much plastic is getting into Georgian Bay, a study being launched in Parry Sound could provide that answer.
The study is being done between Environment Canada, Georgian Bay Forever and the University of Toronto Rochman Lab, with Georgian Bay Forever asking 100 people to volunteer their washing machines to install filters that remove microfibres and particles.
According to project coordinator Cassie Weston, tiny fragments of plastic are believed to be getting into tap water, agricultural soils, and into the Great Lakes and Georgian Bay.
“Microfibres (ers) are some of the most common microplastics in the Great Lakes,” wrote Weston, to the MyParrySoundNow.com newsroom.
“Derived from synthetic textiles (e.g. polyester, acrylic, polypropylene, polyamide and polyethylene), microfibers may enter the environment in many ways. One known pathway is shedding from clothing, with studies on synthetic textiles showing that some articles can shed 100,000 microfibers in a single wash.”
“While wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) may capture up to 90% of microfibers entering these facilities, a recent study in the United States showed that a single WWTP can discharge up to 5 million microplastic particles per day, even when serving catchment areas of around 100,000 people. And with approximately 34 million people living in the Great Lakes Basin, the total load of microfibers entering natural waterways is substantial.”
Weston indicated that the two-year project will also look at the community’s wastewater treatment plant.
With the study set to start on August 1st, Weston said that 30 more volunteers are needed to install the filters. There is no cost to the installation, but anyone who does offer their machine will need to be able to fit the device.
The filter is nine inches wide and 15 inches tall, and volunteers will need to be on the municipal water system.
Anyone who wishes to take part can reach Weston at [email protected].