UM Researchers Find Rivers Retain More Plastic Debris Than Previously Thought

Each year, scientists estimate up to 4 million tons of plastic debris are transported from rivers to oceans all across the globe. It was long thought that most microplastics found in river systems would eventually make their way into the oceans. However, new research by scientists at the University of Montana’s Flathead Lake Biological Station has determined that more microplastics are retained in river systems than previously thought, and river export to the oceans might be overestimated.

By Ian Withrow, UM News Service