microplastics – Aquarius-Systems

May 2023 Newsletter

Thu, 01 Jun 2023 20:22:40 +0000

Impact of Plastic Pollution

A Message From Our Leader: Effects of Chemicals on Waterbodies

Link Between Microplastics and Algae Blooms

Chemicals are a Source of Tension in Vermont

Save the Date:

Aquatic Weed Harvesting Seminar
Best Practices in Waterway Trash Skimming

Upcoming Conferences:

Michigan Lakes & Streams Association 62nd Annual Conference
New York State Federation of Lake Associations Annual Conference

July 2022 Newsletter

Tue, 10 Jan 2023 17:00:51 +0000

The Good, The Bad, The Ugly

A Message From Our Leader: The more I learn about plastic pollution, the more remorse I have about all the plastic supporting my very existence.

Oil Sold the World on Plastics Recycling

Will Plastic Pollution Save Our Lives?

Upcoming Conferences:

Aquatic Plant Management Society 62nd Annual Meeting
Florida Lake Management Society 33rd Annual Technical Symposium

April 2021 Newsletter

Fri, 06 Jan 2023 21:56:40 +0000

The Cost of Water

What is the Cost of Water?

Are Herbicides Killing Eagles?

Mechanical Harvesting Removes Phosphorus

Outboard Motors to Collect Microplastics

Upcoming Conferences:

Indiana Lakes Management Society
Earth Day
New York Federation of Lake Associations
Michigan Lakes & Streams Association

October 2018 Newsletter

Thu, 22 Dec 2022 20:52:04 +0000

Contact Lenses Contribute to Microplastic Pollution

Struggle to Measure Impact of Invasive Species

Herbicide Treatment Destroys Habitat

Contact Lenses Add to Microplastic Pollution

Farmers Demand Release of Water

Weed Harvester Winterization

Upcoming Conferences

North American Lake Management Society 38th Annual International Symposium

August 2016 Newsletter

Thu, 08 Dec 2022 22:20:19 +0000

The Shirt on Your Back is Polluting the Ocean

August is Water Quality Month

Are Your Clothes Polluting the Ocean

Impact of Private Partnerships on Water Quality

Climate Change Affects Water Quality

Valuable Resources at Your Fingertips

July 2013 Newsletter

Wed, 07 Dec 2022 18:57:32 +0000

July is Lake Appreciation Month

July is Lake Appreciation Month

Wisconsin is Ready for Holiday Boaters

Aquarius Systems: An International Hub

July is Lake Appreciation Month – So Get Out There & Appreciate

Bristol Bay – Fighting to Stay Natural

Beauty Giants Rethink Micro-Beads

Study Finds Plastic Chemicals in the Ocean Can Cause Deformities in Marine Life

Fri, 05 Nov 2021 16:57:56 +0000

Biologists in Cornwall have found that chemicals released in the ocean from plastic can lead to deformities in marine animals.

The study by biologists from the Centre for Ecology and Conservation on Exeter’s Penryn Campus found that plastics in the ocean can release chemicals that cause deformities in sea urchin larvae.

Study Finds Plastic Ingestion Is Widespread in Sea Turtles Off Australia’s Coast

Mon, 01 Nov 2021 17:50:14 +0000

Around 83% of green turtles and 86% of loggerhead turtles found off the coast of Queensland were found to have plastics within them, a study from Deakin, James Cook and Murdoch universities found.

Researchers examined the contents of the stomach, intestines, cloaca and bladder of stranded or captured turtles collected from the Indian Ocean off Western Australia and the Pacific Ocean off Eastern Australia.

One turtle found in the Indian Ocean contained 343 pieces of plastic while another in the Pacific Ocean contained 144.

The proportion of turtles that had ingested plastic was much higher in the Pacific Ocean than in the Indian Ocean.

Thousands of Golf Balls Removed From Monterey Bay Raise Concerns About Marine Pollution

Tue, 26 Feb 2019 19:37:51 +0000

Alex Weber, a junior at Carmel High School in California, and her friend Jack Johnston had repeatedly come across large numbers of golf balls on the ocean floor while snorkeling in the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary near the town of Carmel-by-the-Sea.

As environmentally conscious teens, they started removing golf balls from the water, one by one. By the time Alex contacted me, they had retrieved over 10,000 golf balls – more than half a ton.

Alex, her friends and her father paddled, dove, heaved and hauled. By mid-2018 the results were startling: They had collected nearly 40,000 golf balls from three sites near coastal golf courses: Cypress Point, Pebble Beach and the Carmel River Mouth. And following Alex’s encouragement, Pebble Beach employees started to retrieve golf balls from beaches next to their course, amassing more than 10,000 additional balls.

Modern golf balls are made of a polyurethane elastomer shell and a synthetic rubber core. Manufacturers add zinc oxide, zinc acrylate and benzoyl peroxide to the solid core for flexibility and durability. These substances are also acutely toxic to marine life.

When golf balls are hit into the ocean, they immediately sink to the bottom. No ill effects on local wildlife have been documented to date from exposure to golf balls. But as the balls degrade and fragment at sea, they may leach chemicals and microplastics into the water or sediments. Moreover, if the balls break into small fragments, fish, birds or other animals could ingest them.

Most Bottled Water Contains Microplastics, Study Finds

Sun, 01 Apr 2018 21:29:28 +0000

A recent study of bottled water, conducted by the journalism organization Orb Media, found that almost every major brand of bottled water is contaminated with particles of plastic.

The researchers tested 250 bottles of water—from nine countries and 11 brands. They dropped a red dye in each, which stuck to the plastic and glowed when passed under a certain light.

On average, in 93% of bottles, they found more than 10 pieces of plastic thicker than a human hair and hundreds of smaller pieces that the researchers and outside experts believe are probably plastic as well.

According to these findings, a person drinking an average amount of water from bottles could be consuming anywhere between hundreds and tens of thousands of microparticles a day.