Tiny pieces of plastic are falling with snow across the Sierra Nevada, including in remote areas, and researchers and local water officials say the findings raise new questions about what snowmelt could be carrying downstream into the Truckee River, Reno’s main water source.
Researchers collected snow from seven locations in the Sierra, melted it and used special lights to distinguish plastic from dirt and plant material. During storms, some sites recorded as many as 3,200 plastic pieces per square meter each day. At one site near Mammoth Mountain, researchers found as many as 7,500.
Study leader Aleksandra Karapetrova said she did not expect the results to be so widespread…