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5/24/2018  |   11:30 AM - 11:45 AM   |  LAND USE EFFECTS ON MICROPLASTIC POLLUTION IN INDIANA RIVERS   |  330 A

LAND USE EFFECTS ON MICROPLASTIC POLLUTION IN INDIANA RIVERS

Microplastics (plastic particles <5 mm in size) are a contaminant of emerging concern in flowing waters. Microplastics enter rivers and streams through a variety of anthropogenic pathways (e.g., wastewater effluent, breakdown of larger plastic debris, atmospheric deposition) and can negatively impact aquatic organisms through both direct consumption with food and indirect contamination from sorbed toxins. Due to their small size, removal of microplastics once introduced to aquatic ecosystems is impractical and thus source-tracking and input reduction are essential. We quantified the concentration and types (e.g., microbeads, fibers, fragments) of microplastics in 9 Indiana watersheds and 30 separate sites representing a gradient of land use (i.e., agricultural, urban, or forested). We hypothesized that, compared to forested systems, watersheds dominated by agricultural and urban land use would have higher concentrations but different forms of microplastics due to human activities. Preliminary results suggest a correlation between total dissolved solids and the concentration of microplastics. Identifying the sources and types of microplastics in flowing waters is critical for the development of management actions for this emerging contaminant.

  • Landuse
  • Watershed
  • Pollution

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Presenters/Authors

Whitney Conard (), Department of Biological Sciences, University of Notre Dame, wconard@nd.edu;


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Katherine O'Reilly (), Department of Biological Sciences, University of Notre Dame, koreill2@nd.edu;


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Margaret Hartlage (), University of Notre Dame, mhartlag@nd.edu;


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Gary Lamberti (), University of Notre Dame, glambert@nd.edu;


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