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Microplastic Characterization in the Chesapeake and Delaware Bay Watersheds
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This study characterized the presence, types, and abundance of microplastics across the Chesapeake and Delaware Bay watersheds, two major estuarine systems on the US East Coast. The results provide a regional pollution baseline and underscore how densely populated coastal watersheds function as concentrated conduits delivering microplastics to ecologically sensitive marine environments.
Worldwide, estuarine systems have been severely impacted by the introduction of...
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Microplastic Characterization in the Chesapeake and Delaware Bay Watersheds
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Researchers characterized microplastic pollution across the Chesapeake and Delaware Bay watersheds, documenting polymer types, particle sizes, and spatial distribution patterns in one of the most ecologically and economically important estuarine systems on the U.S. East Coast. High microplastic loads in these heavily fished and recreationally used waters raise concerns about contamination of commercially harvested seafood and recreational exposure pathways for millions of coastal residents.
Characterizing Microplastic Pollution in New York State Waterways
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Researchers investigating microplastic pollution in New York State waterways found that plastic fragments — not just the spherical microbeads from personal care products — were the dominant form of contamination. The findings highlight how diverse and widespread microplastic sources are, complicating efforts to reduce their entry into freshwater systems.
Characterization and Fate of Microplastics as Emerging Contaminants in Philadelphia’s Freshwater Systems
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Researchers developed and tested novel sampling and multi-analytical methods including SEM-EDX and FTIR spectroscopy to characterize microplastics in Philadelphia's Delaware and Schuylkill Rivers, aiming to standardize freshwater microplastic methodology. Their work provides foundational data on concentrations, morphology, and elemental composition of freshwater microplastics to support future human and environmental health assessments.
Distribution of Microplastics in the Catawba River Basin
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Researchers mapped the distribution of microplastics across the Catawba River Basin in North and South Carolina, providing baseline data on plastic particle concentrations in an urban river system that supplies drinking water to millions of people in the southeastern United States.
A Reconnaissance of Microplastic Distribution in a Small Michigan Watershed
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A reconnaissance survey of microplastics in the Lake Macatawa watershed in Michigan found that storm sewer outfalls and wastewater treatment plant discharges were the primary local sources, with microplastics detected in beach sediments and downstream sites but at relatively low counts in upstream rural streams. This suggests that urban infrastructure—stormwater systems and wastewater effluent—is the dominant pathway delivering microplastics to freshwater systems in non-coastal US communities.
Research digests by email
When a large batch of papers lands in the Atlas, we read through it and send a short write-up of what stood out.