The NIEHS/NSF Lake Ontario Center for Microplastics and Human Health in a Changing Environment at the University of Rochester is a multi-institutional Center with a mission to determine the risks microplastics pose to humans and the Great Lakes. The center's approach integrates assessment of sources and impact of plastic debris in Lake Ontario with experimental investigation of biological activity of real-world mixtures of microplastics, associated biofilms, and other chemical contaminants utilizing novel nanomembrane technology. The discoveries made from this research will be used to prevent negative health impacts of microplastics in the context of climate change in the Great Lakes region.

Plastic Pollution in Lake Ontario Under a Changing Climate: Input, Fate and Interactions with Human Health

Researchers are studying how climate change and plastic pollution in the Great Lakes impact the ecosystem and human health. This project aims to produce two predictive models that together will predict the input, transport, and fate of plastic pollution in Lake Ontario under a changing climate and can be used as part of a risk assessment for ecosystem and human health.

Investigating Environmental Microplastic Particles and Pollutant Interactions in a Changing Environment

environmental microplastics and to learn how persistent organic pollutants and metal ions interact with microplastics to modify toxicity. The research team is examining the presence of microplastics <100 µm in diameter in Lake Ontario water and in airborne Lake spray and testing the microplastic for cytotoxicity/bioactivity including aryl hydrocarbon receptor activity and endocrine disrupting properties.

Biodistribution and biological impact assessment of micro-plastics water contaminants using a sensitive and reliable Xenopus experimental platform

This project leverages a comparative biology approach using the amphibian Xenopus laevis to define the biodistribution of representative environmentally relevant virgin and experimentally aged microplastics. It aims to determine how postembryonic exposure to these microplastics can induce perturbations of development, fitness, immune homeostasis, chronic inflammation, and poorer antimicrobial immunity that are exacerbated at higher water temperature.

Community Engagement Core

The Community Engagement Core for the Lake Ontario Center for Microplastics and Human Health aims to enhance environmental health literacy on microplastics and climate change. The center is working to engage the public in community science and direct action to measure and reduce sources of plastic in the environment, develop and distribute materials to increased awareness of the risks of environmental microplastics, and engage new partners to reduce the impact of microplastics on human health.