A new study led by a statewide environmental nonprofit organization found microplastics in each of 53 Pennsylvania waterways sampled, including four in Centre County.
The report “Microplastics in Pennsylvania,” released Wednesday by PennEnvironment Research & Policy Center found that samples taken from Spring Creek, Slab Cabin Run, Buffalo Run and Cedar Run all contained microplastics tiny pieces of plastic less than 5 millimeters in length.
More than 300 samples were collected from bodies of water in every corner of the state for the study, which used a citizen-science protocol developed by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration that has been implemented across the country to identify microplastic contamination.