90% of Great Lakes water samples have unsafe microplastic levels – report

Microfibers that come off clothing in washing machines are a common source of microplastic pollution. Photograph: a-ts/Alamy

About 90% of water samples taken over the last 10 years from the Great Lakes contain microplastic levels that are unsafe for wildlife, a new peer-reviewed paper from the University of Toronto finds.

About 20% of those samples are at the highest level of risk, but the study’s authors say the damage can be reversed if the US and Canada quickly act.