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From Beach to Basin: Assessing the Spatio-temporal Distribution of Microplastics in Lake Champlain
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Researchers investigated the spatio-temporal distribution of pre-production plastic pellets in Lake Champlain, examining pollution pathways including roadways, railways, and manufacturing outflows that transport these primary microplastics to freshwater shorelines and basins.
Microplastics are of increasing concern in our natural environment, with plastic production increasing at an annual rate of 8.4% (1950-2015). Once plastic is discarded, it fragments and travels via pathways as particulate macro and microplastic (<5mm). Pre-production pellets are a type of microplastic used in mass-production that are transported via roadways, railways, manufacturing outflows, and sewers, risking pollution within waterways and along shoreline beaches. The focus of my research is to investigate the potential pollution pathways and the spatio-temporal distribution of pre-production pellets in Lake Champlain. Beginning in summer 2024, we commenced wrack line surveys along six New York beaches, including Point Au Roche State Park, Plattsburgh City Beach, Ausable Point, Port Douglas, Port Kent, and the Boquet. Additionally, we sampled five local tributaries including the Little Chazy, Great Chazy, Saranac, Ausable, and Boquet using neuston net tows, followed by sample wet peroxide oxidation. Finally, we continue to explore historical whole lake samples, collected for the Long-term Monitoring Program (LTM), archived at the Lake Champlain Research Institute (1992-2024). Preliminary findings show few pre-production microplastics on the wrack line of these beaches. Some evidence of pre-production pellet accumulation was observed at Plattsburgh City Beach and Ausable Point, with higher abundances closer to dunes. Early tributary sampling shows minimal evidence of them being a major pathway of industrial pellet pollution in Lake Champlain. Preliminary data from Lake Champlain samples suggests that pre-production plastics are found throughout the lake system. Our study will focus on identifying the timing and distribution of these plastics in the Lake Champlain Basin and their possible sources. By identifying potential microplastic pathways and distribution throughout the lake, we can better inform manufacturers and future infrastructure projects to reduce the threat of pre-production plastic in Lake Champlain.
More Papers Like This
Plastics in Paradise: Quantifying Microplastics in Lake Champlain Beaches
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Researchers quantified and characterized microplastics on Lake Champlain beaches, finding contamination at all sampled sites with fragments and fibers as the dominant particle types. The study documents that even inland freshwater shorelines accumulate significant microplastic loads over time.
Beneath the Surface: Assessing the Spatio-Temporal Distribution of Microplastics in Lake Champlain and its Tributaries
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This study investigated the spatio-temporal distribution of microplastics in Lake Champlain and its tributaries across multiple seasons, finding MPs in all sampled water and sediment sites. Concentrations were highest near urban tributaries and lower in more remote areas, suggesting land-based runoff as a primary pathway.
Micro-rubber Menace: Pinpointing Particles in Freshwater Systems
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Researchers analyzed microrubber particles in freshwater ecosystems using Lake Champlain long-term monitoring data, examining the sources, transport pathways, and distribution of tire-derived and polyisoprene rubber pellets as a distinct category of microplastic contamination.
Survey of the Abundance and Distribution of Nurdles and Microplastics in Long-term Monitoring Zooplankton Samples from Lake Champlain
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Researchers surveyed long-term zooplankton monitoring samples from Lake Champlain to map where microplastics and rubber nurdles (small pre-production plastic pellets) accumulate across the lake. The study tested whether pollution was highest near industrial areas and whether fiber-type microplastics were most common, helping build a baseline understanding of plastic contamination in the lake.
Occurrence, Sources, Transport, and Fate of Microplastics in the Great Lakes–St. Lawrence River Basin
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Researchers documented that microplastics smaller than five millimeters are present throughout the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence River system, from tributary streams to the Atlantic Ocean. This finding suggests that the Great Lakes region is both a major accumulation zone and a transport pathway for microplastic pollution into the broader marine environment.
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When a large batch of papers lands in the Atlas, we read through it and send a short write-up of what stood out.