Microplastics in the Making: How Foam and Other Litter Impacts Lake Champlain

Have you ever wondered where plastic litter from our communities ends up? Those who live near bodies of water like Lake Champlain may notice trash – specifically plastic – collected in or near our waterways. All the plastic from our communities that isn’t properly disposed of can catch in the wind or wash away in the rain from storm events and accumulate in Lake Champlain and its tributaries. There, it can break apart into smaller pieces of plastic, which can pollute water and harm aquatic organisms like fish. Plastics that are less than 5 mm in size are called microplastics. These can include pre-production plastic pieces called nurdles and also tiny pieces of plastic that have broken away from larger plastic items.

But what about the plastics that are already on or near the water? Docks, buoys, and other floating structures that are made of expanded polystyrene foam—or Styrofoam—can become brittle and degrade, forming smaller pieces of plastic and even microplastics in a short period of time, such as during a storm event that generates a lot of waves. Foam is one of the biggest contributors to marine debris worldwide, and here in Lake Champlain. A 2014 study by the Rozalia Project showed that foam was the most abundant pollution in Lake Champlain beach sand.  

Foam is critical for the flotation of docks and other structures, but when left unprotected, wind, waves, and animals can degrade the foam, shortening the structure’s lifespan. As the foam breaks down, fish can confuse the pieces for food and ingest them. Once ingested, the plastic accumulates in the fish’s stomach and is passed to whatever eats the fish next—including humans. This was observed in Lake Champlain insects, fish and birds by Dr. Danielle Garneau of SUNY-Plattsburgh.

Vermont recently passed a bill that requires docks, buoys, and other overwater structures to be fully enclosed in hard plastic to protect the foam from degradation and minimize microplastics. Any new floating structures must follow the guidelines outlined in this law and any repairs of current floating structures must abide by the same legislation. This bill is one of the first in the country to address the issue of expanded polystyrene foam in floating structures on water bodies.

Lake Champlain Sea Grant and its partners are leading research and community outreach around foam-based marine debris with the goal of having foam-free lakes in the Lake Champlain basin.

“Vermont’s new legislation underscores the need to help dock owners, anglers, lakeside businesses, and others who work or play on or around our lakes understand how to reduce foam pollution,” said Anne Jefferson, director of Lake Champlain Sea Grant. “Lake Champlain Sea Grant is committed to growing its work on foam, plastic, and other marine debris.”

Kris Stepenuck, Associate Director and Extension Lead at Lake Champlain Sea Grant, was recently awarded an almost $300,000 grant from NOAA’s marine debris program to establish a coalition of watershed and lake organizations in Vermont and New York to address foam-based marine debris in the Lake Champlain basin. LCSG will work with partners at Rozalia Project, Inc., the Lake Champlain Committee, Vermont Boat and Marine Association, Conservation Law Foundation – Lake Champlain Lakekeeper, and Lake George Association to improve community awareness of foam debris and take steps to mitigate the impacts. This project is one of ten projects across Sea Grant programs awarded approximately $2.9 million in marine debris community action coalitions and part of NOAAs $27 million investment in marine debris research this year.

“One aspect of the project is to provide education to youth about the impacts of plastic pollution on Lake Champlain. This will include in class and on the beach education for traditionally underserved communities,” said Kris Stepenuck.

Learn more about the legislation or more about the work Lake Champlain Sea Grant and partners are doing around microplastics and marine debris.