UW research looks at how much microplastics are in Waterloo Region’s water supply

Monday, February 22, 2021

Researchers at the University of Waterloo are working with engineers at the Region of Waterloo to better understand the concentrations of microplastics in our local water supply.

Microplastics are tiny particles of plastic — smaller than five millimetres — that come from a variety of sources, including plastic litter that breaks up into smaller pieces as it degrades, the tiny beads used in exfoliants and facial scrubs, and even tiny plastic fibres sloughed from synthetic clothing in the laundry.

“They’re everywhere,” says Water Institute member Monica Emelko, a professor in Waterloo's Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering and Canada Research Chair in Water Science, Technology & Policy 

Read the full story here.

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