Connecticut Attorney General William Tong led a coalition of attorneys general from 16 states in demanding the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) address the issue of plastic microfiber pollution in the waterways.
According to the attorneys general, the U.S. and Canada pollute an estimated 878 tons of microfibers into the aquatic environment each year. As a result, they claimed the average person may consume a credit card”™s worth of plastic every week from the microfibers in the waterways ”“ and researchers identified these plastics in fish and shellfish that are sold for human consumption.
Furthermore, the attorneys general warned that the consumption and inhalation of microplastic and microfibers can be associated with hormonal cancers, reproductive problems including infertility, metabolic disorders including diabetes and obesity, asthma, and neurodevelopmental disorders including autism.
“Plastic microfibers are a pervasive, toxic pollutant with potential to cause severe harm to human health and our environment,” said Tong. “Simple technology exists and is already required overseas to trap these plastics before they enter our waterways and ultimately our bodies. The United States is lagging where we should be leading globally on this emerging global threat. We”™re calling on EPA and NOAA to follow its own research and use the full extent of its authority to protect public health and the safety of our oceans.”
