Environmentalist Ian Seamans, who advocates for clean water and air at Dallas City Hall for Environment Texas, said a study he authored this summer tested 77 waterways across Texas. The study looked for microfibers, microfragments, microfilms and hard pellets. Microplastics were found at 76 of the test sites, including White Rock Lake.
A water sample from White Rock Lake, taken in May, tested positive for microfibers, the most common form of microplastic pollution, according to the story. The story says these fibers most often come from fast fashion clothing and can enter the water during machine washes or when clothing is thrown away. Seamans said the team plans to retest the one site where no microplastics were found.
Seamans also said that feeding ducks and geese leads to shoreline and water quality problems at the lake. He pointed to erosion near the Bath House Cultural Center. Separately, Brett Johnson, an urban biologist and conservation manager for the City of Dallas, said fighting invasive species that threaten the remaining pockets of Blackland Prairie will take "an army."