Microplastics found in Las Vegas Wash, Lake Tahoe fuel research
Researchers have found microplastics — including rayon, nylon, and polyester — in the Las Vegas Wash and Lake Tahoe, leading them to question whether clothing dryer vents emit microplastics into the environment.
If they do, “this will become a science-informed solution that we can use in our households to reduce the microplastics in the environment,” Monica Arienzo, an assistant research professor in the Division of Hydrologic Sciences at the Desert Research Institute, told the Review-Journal.
The institute, which conducts environmental research, held a virtual event Tuesday with three scientists, including Arienzo, to discuss the research they’re conducting. In addition to microplastics, they discussed canine odor detection, snow sciences and water resources.
In Lake Tahoe, researchers found microplastics of polypropylene, which is found in children’s toys, carpets and takeout containers; rayon, found in clothing; polycarbonate, found in CDs, DVDs and goggles; and polyethylene, found in plastic bags and water bottles.
In the Las Vegas Wash, they discovered microplastics of polypropylene, nylon, and polyester.
Microplastics are tiny plastic particles often found in the deep ocean and polar environments, according to Arienzo.
After their discoveries, Arienzo, along with eight institute volunteers, decided to conduct a new experiment.
The group placed mesh, which Arienzo described as a “lint catcher,” on the outside of a house and over a clothing dryer’s vent for a month to see what kind of material the mesh would catch.
Arienzo said they’re still in the process of analyzing the samples.
Researchers at the institute began their study on microplastics in 2019 and plan to continue their research for two more years.
Contact Mya Constantino at mconstantino@reviewjournal.com. Follow @searchingformya on Twitter.