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McHenry County Board of Health hears experts on microplastics and PFAS; presenter urges tap water and local policy steps
Summary
At its Aug. 18 meeting the McHenry County Board of Health heard a presentation from Illinois-Indiana Sea Grant on microplastics and PFAS, including study findings on environmental spread, human exposure estimates, and local steps to reduce risk such as favoring tap water and limiting single-use plastics.
Sarah, a researcher with Illinois-Indiana Sea Grant, told the McHenry County Board of Health on Aug. 18 that microplastics and related contaminants of emerging concern are widespread in freshwater and in people. "Ultimately, we consume about 52,000 microplastics particles a year," she said, and added that inhalation increases total exposure by roughly 69,000 particles annually.
Sarah summarized peer-reviewed studies and a 2017 global production analysis showing roughly 8.3 billion metric tons of plastic have been produced and that only about 7% has been recycled; she said about 20 million tons of plastic enter waterways each year. She described microplastics sources (production pellets, fragments, foam, microfibers from clothing) and emphasized that…
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