beyond microbeads: microplastics in great lakes tributaries · • microplastics present in every...
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Beyond Microbeads: Microplastics in Great Lakes Tributaries
Quantifying and characterizing the contribution of plastics from streams to lakes
Austin Baldwin, Steve Corsi, Pete Lenaker, Michelle Lutz - USGS Wisconsin Water Science Center
Sherri Mason - State University of New York at Fredonia
Manitowoc River, WI
This information is preliminary and is subject to revision. It is
being provided to meet the need for timely best science. The
information is provided on the condition that neither the U.S.
Geological Survey nor the U.S. Government shall be held
liable for any damages resulting from the authorized or
unauthorized use of the information.
Great Lakes microplastics study (Eriksen et al. 2013, Marine Pollution Bulletin)
- Among first
freshwater studies
- Alarming numbers of plastic microbeads in some samples
Sherri Mason
plastic particles less than 5mm in diameter
More than just microbeads!
Microplastics
Sources to the environment Cosmetics and personal care products
Exfoliation
• Soaps, scrubs, toothpastesa-d
• Several hundred thousand per tubee
Film formation, viscosity control
• Deodorants, sunscreen, lipstick,
eye shadow, shaving cream,…d
• 1 - 50 µm in diameter
- Pass through WWTPs, into streamsf
- “Banned” in several states
5gyres.org
newscientist.com
a. Gregory 1996; b. Barnes et al. 2009; c. Fendall and Sewell 2009; d. UNEP 2015; e. 5-Gyres Institute; f. McCormick et al. 2014
Sources to the environment
• Fibers from synthetic
clothing & textiles
– Up to 1,900/ garment/washing a
– Some pass through WWTPs, most capturedb-
d
patagonia.com
Photo: Sherri Mason
a. Browne et al. 2011; b. Habib et al. 1998; c. Zubris and Richards 2005; d. Gasperi et al. 2015
• Mechanical and photodegradation of litter
For example: bags, bottles, nets, styrofoam, wrappers,
cigarette buttsa,b
Sources to the environment
a. Browne et al. 2007; b. Cole et al. 2011
• Preproduction pellets and powdersa
• Bead blasting (boat hulls, engine parts)b
• Overland sludge applicationc
• Medical uses (drug delivery)d
• Pheromone flakes – 3-layered PVC laminate, 2/ft2 e
• Atmospheric deposition – 29-280 particles/m2/day f
Sources to the environment
sermopel.com
charlotteobserver.com
extension.iastate.edu
a. Mato et al. 2001; b. Gregory 1996; c. Zubris and Richards 2005; d. Browne et al. 2007; e. MN Poll. Control Agency 2014; f. Gasperi et al. 2015
Why should we care?
Ingestion • Observed in marine mammals, birds, fish, turtles, and
invertebratesa-e
• Plastics found in 82% of Lake Superior Lake Herring in 2013f
• Mussels in Nova Scotia: 126-178 microplastics/organismj
• Trophic transfer up food chaing,h
• Hazards poorly understood:
obstruction of digestive system, clogging of feeding
appendages, nutritional deprivation, bioaccumulation,
migration into the circulatory system, and deathb,c,e,i
a. Thompson et al. 2004; b. Teuten et al. 2009; c. Tourinho et al. 2010; d. Lavers et al. 2014; e. Derraik 2002; f. M. Vinson, S. Mason, personal comm.; g. Farrell and Nelson, 2013; h. Setala et al. 2014; i. Wright 2013; j. Mathalon and Hill 2014
Vectors for Contaminants
Flame retardants
Alkyl phenols
Antimicrobials (triclosan)
Antioxidants (BPA)
Plasticizers (phthalates)
Styrenes PCBs
PAHs
DDT
Metals
Pathogens
Plastic additives Sorption & accumulation
Barnes et al. 2009; Browne et al. 2007; Mato et al. 2001; Teuten et al. 2009; Lavers et al. 2014; Betts 2008; McCormick et al. 2014
GLRI Study 2014 29 tributaries
~22% of total inflow to the Great Lakes Range of land uses
4 samples/site (2 baseflow, 2 stormflow) urban
agricultural
natural
Basin land use
Sample collection
Sample processing
Analytical Methods Sherri Mason’s lab at SUNY Fredonia
Sieved into three size classes: • 0.355-0.999mm • 1.00-4.749mm • >4.75mm
Floatation in salt water to separate plastic particles
Digestion of organic matter using wet
peroxide oxidation
Photos courtesy of Tim Hoellein
Bead/pellet (personal care products, preproduction pellets)
Fragments
Foam (styrofoam)
Line (nets, rope)
Particles counted & categorized using light microscope
Photo: Sherri Mason
Film (bags, wrappers)
Fibers (clothing, textiles)
Photo: Sherri Mason
Film
plant material
Tangle of fibers
Photo: Sherri Mason
Results
Particle sizes (48 samples)
Size range Count Percent of total
0.355-0.999mm
9,742 79
1.00-4.749mm 2,424 20
>4.75mm 233 1.9
All sizes 12,399 100
Preliminary Information-Subject to Revision. Not for Citation or
Distribution
Concentrations by site and plastic type
71% are fibers/lines
1% pellets/beads
Preliminary Information-
Subject to Revision.
Not for Citation or Distribution
Con
ce
ntr
atio
n, in
pa
rtic
les/m
3
Plastic particle concentrations vs urban land use
Preliminary Information-
Subject to Revision.
Not for Citation or Distribution
pa
rtic
les/m
3
Plastic particle concentrations vs WWTP effluent
Preliminary Information-
Subject to Revision.
Not for Citation or Distribution
pa
rtic
les/m
3
Plastic particle concentrations vs WWTP effluent
charlotteobserver.com
Preliminary Information-
Subject to Revision.
Not for Citation or Distribution
pa
rtic
les/m
3
Concentrations vs
flow condition (34 baseflow, 14 stormflow)
Preliminary Information-
Subject to Revision.
Not for Citation or Distribution
Co
nce
ntr
ation
, in
pa
rtic
les/m
3
Estimated daily loads corresponding
to individual samples
0.36 – 1.5 Billion Particles/Day
Preliminary Information-
Subject to Revision.
Not for Citation or Distribution
Great Lakes vs Tributaries
* from Eriksen et al. 2013
* * *
1,950 3,540
10,200
466,000
Preliminary Information-
Subject to Revision.
Not for Citation or Distribution
Co
nce
ntr
atio
n, i
n p
arti
cles
/km
2
* from Eriksen et al. 2013 *
Foam
Film
Pellet/bead
Fragment
Fiber/line
Great Lakes vs Tributaries:
Relative abundance of particle types
(collected with like equipment and
analyzed by the same lab)
Preliminary Information-
Subject to Revision.
Not for Citation or Distribution
*
Foam
Film
Pellet/bead
Fragment
Fiber/line
Polymers and densities (from Driedger et al, ‘15)
0.01 – 0.04 g/cm3 Expanded polystyrene
0.89 – 0.98 Polyethylene 0.85 – 0.92 Polypropylene
1.13 – 1.16 Nylon 1.30 Cellulose acetate 1.38 – 1.41 Polyester
1.38 – 1.41 Polyester 1.38 – 1.41 PVC
* from Eriksen et al. 2013
Preliminary Information-
Subject to Revision.
Not for Citation or Distribution
*
Foam
Film
Pellet/bead
Fragment
Fiber/line
Polymers and densities (from Driedger et al, ‘15)
0.01 – 0.04 g/cm3 Expanded polystyrene
0.89 – 0.98 Polyethylene 0.85 – 0.92 Polypropylene
1.13 – 1.16 Nylon 1.30 Cellulose acetate 1.38 – 1.41 Polyester
1.38 – 1.41 Polyester 1.38 – 1.41 PVC
* from Eriksen et al. 2013
Preliminary Information-
Subject to Revision.
Not for Citation or Distribution
Woodall et al. 2014
• Concentrations in sediment 4 orders of magnitude
greater than at ocean surface
• Average of 13 fibers/50ml sediment
Fibers in deep sea sediment
Summary • Microplastics present in every tributary sample to date
(max 11.4 particles/m3, median 1.8 particles/m3)
• Tributary concentrations 10-100 times greater than in Great Lakes
• Relations with flow condition, land use, and wastewater effluent remain unclear
• Fibers dominate in tributaries (71% of all particles)
– May be settling out in lakes
– Sources beyond WWTP effluent?
• Beads/pellets rare (1% of all particles)
Preliminary Information- Subject to Revision. Not for Citation or Distribution
Acknowledgments WI: Paul Reneau, Nic Buer, Ben Siebers, Troy Rutter, Becky Carvin, Ben Torrison, Joe Schuler, Molly Breitmun, Kyle Raimer MI: Joe Duris, Cyndi Rachol, Rick Jodoin, Julia Giesen
IN: Cheryl Silcox, Ed Dobrowolski, Eric Looper, Andy Gorman, Howard Mills OH: Stephanie Kula, Stephanie Janosy, Chad Toussant, Brian Mailot NY: Brett Hayhurst, Ben Fisher MN: Josh Larson, Russ Buesing, Jeff Copa SUNY: Rachel Ricotta, Joylyn Kovachev, Katie Donnelly, Evan Miller
Questions? Austin Baldwin
References
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