ERIS

The Environmental Research Institute of the States

microplastics

Characterizing Microplastic Hotspots from Apalachicola Watershed to Apalachicola Bay

Microplastic (MP) pollution is an issue that has recently gained the attention of environmental scientists and researchers around the globe. MPs have been an underlying issue since the creation of plastic in the 19th century, but the awareness of MP’s vast distribution in environments and organisms wasn’t discovered until recently. MPs are identified by their physical structure, size, and chemical properties. This research project characterizes emissions of MP hotspots within the Apalachicola-Chattahoochee-Flint River system in Florida.

Twelve sites along the Apalachicola River between its origin at Lake Seminole formed by the Jim Woodruff Dam at the border of Florida and Georgia and Apalachicola Bay were sampled. The sediment and water samples were processed through sieving, density separation, and vacuum filtration. Each processed sample was analyzed to gather information on sediment grain size, MP identification, and density. The data show the abundance, concentration, and the types of MPs in the Apalachicola River’s water and sediment. The results support the hypothesis that dams like the Jim Woodruff Dam serve as potential MP sinks. There is also evidence that MPs are present in the surface water and sediment of every site sampled. The majority of the MPs collected were black fibers or strains that were less than 500m and were found in the sediments.

Microplastics: The Current State of Regulations and Science

Microplastics: The Current State of the Regulations and Science  

Microplastics have been found in air, soil, wildlife, and human blood and lung tissue, yet studies are just beginning to uncover potential human health effects such as internal inflammation and reproductive effects. One international study found that 80% of drinking water samples from 14 countries across 5 continents had microplastics in them. Based upon these and other findings, and little information on the extent of the problem within the state, California became the first government in the world to require monitoring for microplastics in drinking water. This policy motivated rapid scientific work to define microplastics and to develop standard methods to measure them in source water.

 

Emerging Technologies to Advance Research and Decisions on the Environmental Health Effects of Microplastics

This workshop will bring together the environmental science and health communities to explore how emerging technologies and research strategies could help address important environmental health questions about microplastics.

Participants will explore methods to detect and quantify microplastics in food and the environment, delve into research on the effects of microplastics on the health of humans and wildlife, and discuss ways to reduce microplastics in the environment. The workshop will end with a session on how these new approaches may be leveraged to inform public health and policy questions.