'ALL ROADS FLOW TO THE SEA' – capturing road-based plastic pollution using physical and community interventions

Roads act as conduits for plastic pollution, especially smaller microplastics (¡ 5 mm), which enter aquatic environments via stormwater drains. Tyre wear significantly adds to road dust, while tyre crumb is increasingly incorporated into products like playground coverings. Road paint and synthetic grass further contribute to this road-associated plastic burden. To assess microplastic waste from road-related activities, customized heavy duty baskets 'Drain Buddies' (with detachable 300 μm mesh net) were installed in stormwater drains at 15 strategic locations in Rockhampton and Livingstoneshire, central Queensland. The selection of sites was a collaborative effort with local councils, focusing on areas near artificial grass, recent roadworks, busy city centers, and industrial zones. Samples were collected during eight emptying cycles between October 2021 and March 2023. Samples were sieved (5 mm, 2 mm, 1 mm, 500 μm) and ¿1,500 putative plastics were visually identified and removed by eye. Smaller samples underwent density separation using ZnCl and digestion using H2O2. Items of interest were photographed, measured, categorized, and individually analyzed using ATR-FTIR for polymer identification. Tyre particles were identified using Pyrolysis-GCMS. Results will be discussed. This study provides insights into the optimal timing, locations, and duration for installing Drain Buddies to minimize road-related plastic pollution in our waterways. Also see: https://micro2024.sciencesconf.org/557725/document