They are found in the food we eat, and the water we drink. Microplastics are small plastics, about the size of a human hair, that are found in our environment due to being broken down and discharged through various processes from industrial productions to daily activities, such as opening a plastic bag of snacks or running a washing machine. Studies show that packaging for packaging makes up 40% of our plastic production.

On any given day, the MSU Water Treatment Plant pumps about 4 million gallons of water to ensure the 60,000 students, faculty and staff on campus can fill their water bottles, flush toilets and wash dishes.

Research from a team of Michigan State University scientists shows there’s another benefit people derive from forests, but they might not recognize it: filtering and supplying clean drinking water.

Newly appointed Michigan State University AgBioResearch-affiliated scientists are diving deeper into the water story, working to better understand water movement and the human impact on it.