REPORT: It’s Raining Plastic Over the Colorado Front Range
There's a new government study you have to see to believe. It says that they have detected plastic in rain over Colorado's front range.
I first saw this story shared by The Guardian. It's based on a USGS study that found plastic fiber samples in Colorado rain water. Here's a snippet from their study:
Atmospheric wet deposition samples were collected using the National Atmospheric Deposition Program/National Trends Network (NADP/NTN) at eight sites in the Colorado Front Range. Plastics were identified in more than 90 percent of the samples.
The study area based on the map the USGS shared indicates the survey covered Rocky Mountain National Park to parts of Denver.
How does discarded plastic get absorbed into rain water and what damage does that do? The USGS doesn't know. Their conclusion is very matter-of-fact at the end of the study:
It is raining plastic. Better methods for sampling, identification, and quantification of plastic deposition along with assessment of potential ecological effects
are needed.
Does this mean we'll eventually see plastic forks and Barbies falling from the skies? Doubtful, but as crazy as this world is becoming, you never know.