During the past decades, the oceans around the world have been getting most of the attention concerning plastic pollutants in water. Similarly, freshwater lakes are also stashed with microplastics that should be considered as an environmental problem.
While prior research documentation focused on plastics in the ocean, a recent study being conducted by Katie Senft documented the presence of microplastic in the Tahoe Basin. According to Senft, the long-term implication of having plastics in the soil and water are still unknown.
Senft's research started by sampling four beaches in the summer of 2019. This took part in the first study of microplastics in Lake Tahoe, She took water samples from Inline Beach and the Hidden Beach two times during the summer.
The water samples will be used for studying both trash and atmospheric depositions as well as stormwater runoff sources of microplastic and other plastic pollutants.
While this research is in progress, Senft hopes to bring the attention of the public and the authorities to the issue of microplastic in the Tahoe Basin. She aims to lay the groundwork for measures that can be applied and also to establish available methods that can be used by scientists in researching about microplastic in the lake systems. She further intends to use the baseline data that she is collecting not just for Lake Tahoe but for all the lakes around the globe.
While most freshwater systems are piped out to return back to the lakes, this is not the case for Lake Tahoe. The wastewater that is produced in the Tahoe Basin remains in place which becomes the main source of microplastics in the freshwater system, This means that the microplastic found in the Lake Tahoe is the result of improper disposal of trash.
Can the issue of microplastic still be resolved?
Lake Tahoe is known to be one of the nation's producers of the cleanest drinking water. According to Senft, the problem of plastic in the Tahoe Basin is resolvable. Residents and visitors can make it happen by reducing the number of plastic they bring in Lake Tahoe.
Use reusable plastic containers or tumblers instead of disposable cups and bottles, and make sure to dispose of trash properly. Throw away or pack out every plastic bottle that is brought in the lake. People think that small act of picking trash won't make a difference, but it does. Together, we are truly powerful and it would make a huge difference.
Rid off the plastics! Save Lake Tahoe!
