Research reveals presence of microplastics in Okanagan Lake 

Their research shows that the concentrations of microplastics present, which are fragments of plastic that are less than five millimetres in diameter, appear to be relatively low when compared to that of the Great Lakes and other marine environments.

Water samples were taken from five areas of the lake, including north and south of the WR Bennett Bridge, where Mission Creek and Okanagan Lake meet, farther down Mission Creek, and near the outflow of Kelowna’s wastewater treatment facility.

Joshua Sztanko, an OC student in the Water Engineering Technology program, said this was a “phenomenal capstone project” to be part of.

“Our work involved isolating, verifying and measuring microplastics from the samples provided,” he said.

Kelowna residents Gregg Howald, Ryan Cope and Jan Vozenilek were inspired to research the plastic pollution in the Okanagan freshwater ecosystem after witnessing the devastation of plastic pollution and its impact on marine wildlife while at Midway Atoll National Wildlife Refuge, where they first met.

“Microplastics are a global issue, and we are only now beginning to investigate the implications of plastics that could persist for centuries in our ecosystems,” said Howald, CEO of FreshWater Life.

The three began this Microplastics Okanagan project in 2021 with grant funding from the Okanagan Basin Water Board.

The purpose of this project is to determine if wastewater is a potential source of contamination in Okanagan Lake and establish localized solutions to mitigating microplastics entering waterways.

Ryan Cope, founder of Seven in the Ocean, said she is thrilled with the partnerships the team has formed during this scoping study.

Other partners involved in this research project include Okanagan WaterWise, Okanagan Nation Alliance, Fresh Outlook Foundation, the Institute for Underwater Research and the City of Kelowna Wastewater Treatment Facility.