WATERLOO REGION & THE GRAND RIVER ARE NOT IMMUNE TO MICROPLASTIC POLLUTION

Yesterday's Waterloo Region Record carried the following article titled "Microplastics found in Grand River mussels". A University of Guelph professor and a colleague have recently published the first study of microplastics in the Grand River. It is not good as 71% of the mussels sampled contained small amounts of microplastics. Mussels and other aquatic biota are filter feeders and if they are unable to expel the microplastics they and absorbed toxic chemicals from the river will build up and cause further damage. .............................................................................................................. Freshwater mussels help clean river water by taking in dozens of litres of water a day and filtering out algae and bacteria including E. Coli bacteria. Fresh water mussels have been dramatically decreased in the Great Lakes due to both pollution and to zebra mussels. River systems feeding into the Great Lakes are the last bastian for native freshwater mussels and they are thriving in many of those rivers.