Russ Zimmer

@RussZimmer

The New York-New Jersey harbor estuary is swimming in toxin-soaked plastic pollutants, according to a new study by NY/NJ Baykeeper.

The first-of-its-kind study in the waters around New York City and the Raritan Bayshore found that at least 165 million plastic particles are floating on or near the surface.

These mostly-minuscule plastic fragments absorb the toxins, such as pesticides or industrial waste, that are already present in the water. Fish or other marine life sometimes mistake them for food and ingest these plastic pieces, which allows the toxins to leach into their flesh.

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Scientists fear — although there is little data — that these dangerous chemicals could be transferred up the food chain to humans.

"We are beginning to see evidence of just how prevalent plastic pollution is in our waters," said Dave Conover, executive director of Hudson River Sloop Clearwater, in a statement. "Plastic trash and debris, along with microplastics, are contaminating fish, birds, mammals, even plankton.”

Baykeeper trawled 18 different locations and found that if you divided up the harbor into blocks the size of football fields, you would scoop up an average of 1,500 floating pieces of plastic in each.

The numbers were about twice as high in New York waters as in New Jersey, perhaps because of the differences in population density although the study's authors caution against drawing too many conclusions from the first set of data.

The study revealed an abundance of "blue spherical beads," which were likely microbeads found in personal care products, such as face or body cleansers.

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President Barack Obama signed a nationwide ban on microbeads on December 28, marking a victory for water quality advocates. However, the ban doesn't kick these products off store shelves until 2019.

Much of the plastic present comes from other sources, such as plastic grocery bags or generic plastic pellets that factories melt down to mold into products.

Under constant battering of waves and degradation from the sun, something like a plastic bottle will break down into smaller and smaller pieces. The tiniest particles counted by Baykeeper were approximately the size of a grain of sand.

Sandra Meola, a spokeswoman for Baykeeper, said the environmental organization intends to continue sampling the waters periodically, including as soon as next month, to track the harbor's pollution problem.

The study area stretches from the Tappan Zee Bridge south to the Sandy Hook Bay:

What can I do?

There are a handful of easy choices consumers can make to limit their contribution to the plastic problem, according to Baykeeper.

Use reusable bags at the grocery store instead of plastic.

Buy grocery products in bulk to cut down on the number of plastic containers.

Use eco-friendly bags for sandwiches or produce.

Instead of plastic, single-use bottled water, use a reusable bottle.

Carry reusable utensils with you so that you can opt-out of plastic forks and spoons.

Quit using plastic straws.

Throw away your cigarette butts.

Avoid personal care products that contain microbeads. Baykeeper has an online guide.

Unfortunately, there's nothing we can do about the plastic that is already out there.

"We're going to have to deal with the consequences," Meola said. "It's plastic smog. It’s everywhere. It’s in all bodies of water across the globe."

Russ Zimmer: 732-557-5748; razimmer@app.com