Poster Details
THE ROLE OF SUBSTRATE, DISCHARGE, AND BIOFILM GROWTH ON THE TRANSPORT AND RETENTION OF MICROPLASTIC FIBERS IN STREAMS
Microplastics (< 5mm) represent emerging aquatic pollutants and are of increasing concern in freshwater ecosystems globally. Microplastics adsorb harmful chemicals, enter aquatic food webs, and persist in the environment. Research on microplastic transport in lotic ecosystems is needed to understand the role streams and rivers play in plastic’s movement across the landscape. We used spiraling metrics designed to measure organic matter retention and transport to quantify microplastic deposition in the replicated experimental streams at the Notre Dame Linked Experimental Ecosystem Facility (ND-LEEF). We explored the influence of benthic substrate (cobble, pea-gravel, sand, and mixed), stream discharge (high vs. low), and benthic biofilm colonization (late successional community and after scouring) in a fully-crossed design. We released pulses of microplastic fibers, which are the most common microplastic found in streams, and collected synchronized samples at three locations downstream. After filtering, we counted fibers under a dissecting microscope. We predict the depositional velocity of fibers will be lower with high discharge, low biofilm, and larger substrate size. Our goal is to quantify factors that drive microplastic retention in streams, thereby parameterizing models which can scale depositional patterns to larger downstream rivers.
Anna Vincent (Co-Presenter/Co-Author), University of Notre Dame, avincen5@nd.edu;
Arial Shogren (Co-Presenter/Co-Author), University of Alabama, ashogren@ua.edu;
Assistant Professor, Department of Biological Sciences, University of Alabama
Martha Dee (Co-Presenter/Co-Author), University of Notre Dame, mdee@nd.edu;
Jennifer L. Tank (Co-Presenter/Co-Author), University of Notre Dame, tank.1@nd.edu;
John Kelly (Co-Presenter/Co-Author), Loyola University Chicago, Jkelly7@luc.edu;
Timothy Hoellein (Co-Presenter/Co-Author), Loyola University Chicago, thoellein@luc.edu;
Dr. Hoellein is a freshwater ecologist at Loyola University Chicago. His research interests are focused on ecosystem processes and biogeochemistry. His research lab explores these areas in associate with the movement and biological transformation of elements, energy, and pollution in aquatic ecosystems.
Elizabeth Berg (Primary Presenter/Author), Loyola University Chicago, eberg@luc.edu;