RENO, Nev. (AP) - Scientists at Lake Tahoe have detected microplastics at several locations around the lake for this first time.
Microplastics is the term for tiny pieces of plastic that come from everything from water bottles to synthetic fleece sweaters.
Experts told the Reno Gazette Journal they are ubiquitous around the world, so it's not surprising to find them in Lake Tahoe.
A team of researchers from the Desert Research Institute is digging deeper into the issue to learn more about potential health and environmental ramifications for Nevada.
In addition to lakes and streams in the Tahoe Basin, they're also studying the Las Vegas wash in Southern Nevada, which drains into Lake Mead.
They're scheduled to present their findings to the American Geophysical Union in December.
