2023 Early Hearing Detection & Intervention Conference

March 5-7, 2023 • Cincinnati, OH

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5/20/2019 | 2:45 PM - 3:00 PM | PLASTIC IN URBAN STREAMS: DISTRIBUTION, TRANSPORT, AND INFLUENCE ON BIOFILM COMMUNITY COMPOSITION | 251 AB

PLASTIC IN URBAN STREAMS: DISTRIBUTION, TRANSPORT, AND INFLUENCE ON BIOFILM COMMUNITY COMPOSITION

Plastic litter is accumulating in ecosystems worldwide. The capacity for plastic to undergo physical, chemical, and biological processes within freshwaters is understudied, and is a critical component of global plastic budgets and potential management interventions. We adapted organic matter ‘spiraling’ methods to measure microplastic transport in 3 Chicago-area streams. Microplastic and fine particulate organic matter (FPOM) abundance were quantified by habitat (surface water, water column, benthos). We calculated downstream velocity, index of retention, turnover rate, and spiraling length for microplastic and FPOM. Downstream velocity and indices of retention for microplastic and FPOM were similar. However, microplastic showed lower turnover rates and longer spiraling lengths relative to FPOM, attributed to the slow estimates of plastic biodegradation rates. We also measured the influence of plastic polymer type on microbial community composition and metabolic function in streams spanning a nested geographic gradient. We predicted that the chemical and physical properties of plastic litter would select for similar biofilm communities across large geographic distances with low taxonomic diversity relative to natural surfaces. These projects will provide insight on the pervasive nature of plastic pollution and contribute to global plastic budgets.

Urban
Movement
Distribution

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Presenters/Authors

Anna Vincent (), University of Notre Dame, avincen5@nd.edu;