A study taken recently by the Delaware River Basin Commission showed that microplastics are abundant throughout the entire river, and they’re also turning up in fish and other aquatic life.

The latest part of the three-phase study sampled for microplastics was near some of the Delaware River Basin’s most population centers including Trenton, N.J., Wilmington, Del. and Philadelphia, Pa.

Twenty-four samples were taken throughout these sections and microplastics were found in each one, with the highest concentration in tributaries on the New Jersey side of the river.

The bulk of the microplastics found at those sites were in the form of fibers, which often originate in man-made clothing that breaks down in washing machines and enters waterways.

A study conducted by the U.S. Geological Survey and National Park Service from 2015-2019 found microplastics in a 100 percent of water and sediment samples, 94 percent in fish that included smallmouth bass and white suckers and 45 percent in mussels.

Recent studies have also suggested that toxic chemicals can affix to microplastics, which could increase the transfer of toxic chemicals to aquatic life.

The Delaware River Basin is also a source of drinking water for 15 million people, including New York City and Philadelphia. 

In addition to fibers, microplastics can also be found in other forms, including pellets, beads, film and tire particles. 

The Delaware River Basin Commission’s latest research, which was partly funded by the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation’s Delaware Watershed Conservation Fund, sought to characterize the distribution of microplastics in the upper portion of the Delaware River, and to increase public awareness with microplastics.

The commission has spearheaded several cleanups to remove plastic litter from the basin, and more are planned. Additional monitoring is also expected to take place along the river.