WATCH NOW: The science of microplastic: UW-L researchers study emerging field
Peering into a microscope and slowly adjusting the focus, Veronica Sannes analyzes small particles within a petri dish as they appear magnified on ...
Peering into a microscope and slowly adjusting the focus, Veronica Sannes analyzes small particles within a petri dish as they appear magnified on the adjoining computer screen. As she works, Sannes quickly identifies the particles she sees, picking out fibers from clothing, tiny fragments of sand and gravel and other miscellaneous pieces, until she can pinpoint what she is looking for -- pieces of plastic less than five millimeters in size. These small plastic pieces, or microplastics, have been consumed by fish within the Mississippi River and appear in their stomach and digestive organs.