Extensive research has shown that microplastics are incredibly pervasive, prompting further inquiry into how these ubiquitous particles of plastic litter got into everything.
A data scientist revisited research into microplastics in off-the-beaten-track areas around the Adirondacks in upstate New York, and according to The Guardian, updated conclusions as to how plastic pollution reaches these far-flung places.
What's happening?
Back in 2023, Sacred Heart University data scientist Tim Keyes visited Lake Tear of the Clouds to collect water samples for microplastic testing.
Lake Tear of the Clouds is New York State's highest elevation point, and The Guardian indicated it experiences "heavy hiker traffic" due to its proximity to well-trod hiking trails.
Keyes — who conducted the research with his company, Evergreen Business Analytics, and a non-profit trail advocacy group, Adirondack Hamlets to Huts — detected microplastics levels of 9.45 particles per milliliter in Lake Tear at the time.
Researchers suspected that the contamination was airborne in nature, introduced to the lake by precipitation cycles and rain. Keyes returned to Lake Tear in 2025 to collect samples, and retrieved samples from Moss Pond at the same time.
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Sampling in 2025 revealed an unexpected difference: Lake Tear had microplastic levels of approximately 16.54 particles per milliliter. Moss Pond, a "remote, trailless body of water," had concentrations closer to 0.73 particles per milliliter, far lower despite being at a similar elevation.
This led Keyes and his co-author Joe Dadey to conclude that hiking gear, like specialized shoes, was the primary culprit, not precipitation.
"It's a pretty clear indication given the stark difference in microplastic levels between the sister body of water that's a bushwack away compared to Lake Tear, which is on this thoroughfare for hikers that sees tens of thousands of people annually," Keyes explained to the outlet.
What are 'microplastic pathways,' and why are they so important?
Keyes broadly referenced "microplastic pathways," the means by which plastic particulate matter (microplastics and nanoplastics) enter the environment and human bodies.
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I want them out now 🚫 Because microplastics are incredibly pervasive and can persist in the environment for centuries, understanding how they're introduced to water, soil, wildlife, and people is critical to figuring out how to reduce that exposure.
In other words, we need to understand how microplastics enter and exit people and places, and identify where they're most concentrated to minimize our direct exposure.
Microplastics have only been on researchers' radar since 2004, and research into their prevalence and impacts has been ongoing since they were first identified.
Their findings have largely been concerning — microplastics are consistently found in soil, water, and the air, and that also holds true for wildlife and most systems in the human body.
Exposure to microplastics has been linked to a number of adverse health outcomes, from vascular damage to cognitive decline and cancers.
What's being done about it?
Keyes and Dadey said they hoped their findings would draw more awareness to the issue and that hiking gear manufacturers would take heed and address the issue at the production level.
Using less plastic is one way to limit direct exposure, and as this research emphasized, replacing everyday items with plastic-free alternatives makes a big difference.
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