The fallout from humanity's addition to plastics is showing up in the waters of Lake Tahoe.
Scientists detected microplastics at several locations around the lake for this first time this year and they're working to understand what that means for human health and the environment of the Tahoe Basin.
"I don't think we fully understand the effects of microplastics on the environment," said Monica Arienzo, who was on the team that found microplastics in Lake Tahoe water and in snow in the Tahoe Basin. In addition to lakes and streams in the Tahoe Basin, the researchers are also studying the Las Vegas dry river basin in Southern Nevada, which drains into Lake Mead.
"We are in the process of identifying what types of plastics those are so we can better identify the sources of those plastics," Arienzo said.
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