Three Bucks County waterways — Delaware River Canal, Neshaminy Creek and Tohickon Creek — tested positive for harmful levels of microplastics, reports the Bucks County Herald. 

The testing done by the PennEnvironment Research and Policy Center didn’t reveal bad news just for Bucks County; every one of its 53 statewide testing sites showed at least one type of microplastic contamination 

“The results of this study should set off alarms for all Pennsylvanians who love our state’s rivers and streams,” said Faran Savitz, a PennEnvironment associate. “The staggering amount of microplastics we found likely means that no river, lake, or stream is safe from this increasingly common contaminant.” 

The report’s findings were announced at a virtual news conference with Rep. Perry Warren in attendance. 

Americans generate more than 35 million tons of plastic waste every year and less than 10% is recycled. The rest ends up as litter or gets sent to landfills or incinerators releases microplastics over time. These particles are then carried by wind or rain into the environment. Their tiny size makes it easy for them to infiltrate the food chains of animals and humans. 

For more information on this environmental threat and its possible solutions, read the Bucks County Herald story, here.