A new study from researchers at Loyola University has found a strong link between wastewater treatment and plastic pollution in rivers. The research was presented by Timothy Hoellein, an ecologist at the university, at conference in February. The study was groundbreaking in part because it focused on rivers. “While rivers are considered a major source of microplastic to oceans, little is known about microplastic abundance, transport, and biological interactions in rivers,” the presentation said. "Rivers have less water in them than oceans, and we rely on that water much more intensely," Hoellein said in a statement.