High Levels Of Microplastics In Waters Surrounding New York City

Water sample from Newark Bay in Bayonne, New Jersey showing a mix of plastics. (Credit: Sandra Meola / NY/NY Baykeeper via AP)

Waterways surrounding New York City are full of microscopic plastic bits, according to a report by the New York / New Jersey Baykeeper.

The findings in the report are based on sampling data collected by trawlers going up and down streams and bays around the city. Those include the East River and the Hudson River. In New Jersey, the Passaic River and Raritan Bay were also considered.

The highest concentration of microplastics was found in the East River, which flows between Manhattan, Brooklyn and Queens. Its concentration came in at 556,484 particles per square kilometer.

That’s about 300,000 more than was found to be the average in the assessment, around 256,322 particles per square kilometer. In all, Baykeeper workers found that there are probably 165 million plastic particles floating in New York Harbor and its surrounding waters at any given time.

Top image: Water sample from Newark Bay in Bayonne, New Jersey showing a mix of plastics. (Credit: Sandra Meola / NY/NY Baykeeper via AP)