Microplastics are everywhere in Pennsylvania’s water – but the tide may be turning

An environmental engineer who mapped microplastic pollution in three of Pennsylvania’s watersheds explains what it means for our health.

By: Nathaniel Warner, Penn State; Lisa Emili, Penn State, and Raymond Najjar, Penn State, The Conversation

Outlets: The Conversation

Published: June 16, 2026

Words: 1,213

Last Updated: 1 month, 1 week ago

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By Nathaniel Warner, Penn State; Lisa Emili, Penn State, and Raymond Najjar, Penn State

Researchers have long known that plastic pollution reaches the ocean. But how much plastic is trapped, and where, before it reaches the ocean is far less understood.

As professors of environmental engineering, geography and environmental studies, and oceanography at Penn State, we recently led studies mapping how microplastics move through bodies of water across Pennsylvania. What …

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