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Microplastics Are Found Throughout St. Lucie County Waterways

Leon County Judge John Cooper on June 30, 2022, in a screen grab from The Florida Channel.
Flickr Creative Commons
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The Florida Channel
Microplastics can cause health problems in humans and aquatic life.

Citizen scientists in Port St. Lucie found microplastics in their major waterways. 

But even St. Lucie County’s Community Outreach Manager Sandra Bogan says she was surprised by their prevalence.

“We chose some of our major waterways like the Indian River Lagoon and St. Lucie River. We had 18 different tests and out of those 18 test sites, 16 sites had microplastics in them.”

Bogan says most of these plastics are smaller than a sesame seed.

They can get into the water people drink and fish people eat and that could make them sick. S

he says a simple solution is to use reusable containers and silverware.