SPECTRUM NEWS • July 24, 2024
University of Maine researchers have discovered that Frenchman Bay is suffering from significant microplastic pollution. Researchers found about 400 billion microplastic fibers on the surface of Frenchman Bay and in several rivers and estuaries. The findings were published in Environment Engineering Science. Grace Johnson, lead author of the study, said, “That is a lot of microplastics.” Microplastics are less than five millimeters in length, often small enough to pass through water filtration systems into lakes and oceans. They release harmful toxins and pose a threat to aquatic life.