GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — Health hazards in Michigan's waterways have long been a top concern for its people, given the the state's stewardship of a vast amount of the world's freshwater supply.

Risks have spanned anywhere from lead to PFAS "forever" chemicals.

But on top of that, another major worry for many is plastics, and it's been a concern for years.

"The fact is that there are 22 million pounds of trash that are pulled out of the Great Lakes every year," nature conservation educator Jessica Gregory told 13 ON YOUR SIDE back in 2021.

85% of the pollution that's cleaned up out of the Great Lakes, she said at the time, is plastic.

In particular, the possible presence of microplastics and even smaller nanoplastics, certain research suggests , could pose health risks when ingested ov

See Full Page