ST. PAUL, MN — A school project turned into a real threat. Achievelangage The St. Paul Science Club, consisting of her 7th graders and her 8th graders at her academy, tested water samples near the school and were shocked by the results.
Beaver Lake is directly behind the public charter school. The Emily Vondriska Conservation Club took samples from the lake in April when the water thawed.
They took some 100 milliliter water samples back to the classroom and separated the water from the solids contained within. The solid was left on a graphed paper disc and placed under a microscope.
“I was the first to see the first disc and thought I was hallucinating,” Vondriska said.
The Conservation Club found microplastics on the disk.
“I counted about 100 pieces of what I believe to be plastic and textiles,” Vondriska said, noting that the findings were not negligible and “I think the community needs to know about this.” Told.
Vondriska worries about people swimming and fishing in Beaver Lake.
“Obviously it’s already in the fish, and our acquaintances eat it from Beaver Lake,” said Vondriska.
Worries aside, this project has taught kids how much they can learn in the backyard, but it’s up to them to find it and do something with it. The students displayed all of their macroplastic findings around Beaver Lake near the front door so all their classmates could learn about plastic pollution as well.
“You’re curious. Curiosity provokes this interest. Whether it’s something good or bad, it will promote awareness and educate everyone else,” Vondriska said. said Mr.
The Minnesota Pollution Control Agency says it doesn’t regulate microplastics in the lake, but encourages people to use less plastic and dispose of it properly.
They say research on the health effects of microplastics is limited.
The Minnesota Department of Health has documented guidelines for safe consumption of fish, and you can find out which lake fish contain the most contaminants.
