Microplastics Widespread In Appalachian Fish, New Study Finds

A new study from West Virginia University adds to the growing catalog of evidence that microplastics are everywhere on Earth, including the water, air, and wildlife in national parks.

Isabella Tuzzio, a senior pre-med major at West Virginia University, sampled juvenile northern hogsucker fish from seven streams across the Central Appalachians. On average, Tuzzio found 40 pieces of microplastics in each fish.

The study didn't specifically include national parks in the region, but Tuzzio said it's safe to say fish in the parks are also contaminated with the tiny pieces of plastic that many conservation groups consider one of the biggest environmental problems in the world. 

“They’re pretty much ubiquitous everywhere," Tuzzio said in a phone interview.

Microplastics are smaller than about a quarter inch and come from a number of processes, including the breakdown of larger products like water bottles and fabric. Microbeads, very tiny pieces of plastic that are used as exfoliants in health and beauty products are another source, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

“These plastics are small, but their impact is massive,” Tuzzio said in a news release from the university. “They carry pollutants, heavy metals and antibiotics. And while the microplastics are spread out in smaller fish, the bigger fish eat those smaller fish. As you work your way up the food chain, there are heavily concentrated levels of these plastics. It’s a problem for them and for us, too.”

Studies on the impacts of microplastics on animal and human health are ongoing. It's known that they interfere with biological systems and in humans may be linked to chronic illnesses like diabetes. Studies have shown they're present in our lungs and our brains. 

Tuzzio's research focused on the Cheat, Monongahela and Ohio River watersheds. The region includes Shenandoah National Park in Virginia, Great Smoky Mountains National Park in Tennessee and North Carolina, and Big South Fork National River and Recreation Area in Tennessee and Kentucky. Northern hogsucker fish, the kind Tuzzio sampled, are present in all three, according to the National Park Service. 

Spokespersons at both Shenandoah and Great Smoky Mountains said via email that there are no monitoring systems or long-term studies regarding microplastics in fish in those parks. A spokesperson from Big South Fork said officials there had no reply to questions about the issue.

Previous research has confirmed that microplastics are widespread on public lands. They've been found in water in and around Maine's Acadia National Park, at 10,300 feet in Colorado's Rocky Mountain National Park, on the shores of Wisconsin’s Apostle Islands National Lakeshore, and in oysters at Georgia's Fort Pulaski National Monument. 

A 2020 study led by Utah State University showed that more than 2 million pounds of microplastics carried by wind and rain settle on national parks and other public lands in the West each year. 

Ninety-six percent of the microplastics Tuzzio found in fish were fibers things like clothing and fabrics.

People and communities can help by recycling, using environmentally friendly detergents, installing filters on washing machines and improving wastewater management.

"We hope our research sparks conversations about sustainability and inspires action to protect the streams and communities of Appalachia," Tuzzio said.