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Microplastics in Urban Watersheds, Southern California, USA
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This study characterized microplastic transport in urban watersheds of Southern California across a range of storm and dry weather flow conditions. Microplastic concentrations were highest during initial storm events as accumulated plastics were flushed from urban surfaces. The findings highlight stormwater runoff from urban areas as a major driver of microplastic transport to the marine environment.
Globally, fluxes of microplastics to marine environments are thought to be dominated by stormflow from urban environments, which may be moderated by storage in estuaries. Fluvial transport of microplastics is primarily a supply-limited phenomenon, but flow field and particle characteristics can result in a wide range of transport modes, from surface load to bedload, with potential ramifications for estuarine transport and fate. Here we report preliminary findings from microplastic monitoring campaigns conducted in a number of streams draining urban watersheds in Southern California, and estuarine wetland and benthic sediment deposits. These studies will serve as the basis for microplastic flux, accretion, and composition evaluation, and inform the optimization of microplastic monitoring in urban systems.
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Urban Stormwater Runoff: A Major Pathway for Anthropogenic Particles, Black Rubbery Fragments, and Other Types of Microplastics to Urban Receiving Waters
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Researchers quantified microplastics in urban stormwater runoff from 12 watersheds surrounding San Francisco Bay and found concentrations ranging from 1.1 to 24.6 particles per liter, much higher than typical wastewater treatment plant effluent. The study suggests that stormwater runoff is a major and underappreciated pathway for microplastics and other anthropogenic particles to enter urban waterways.
Microplastics in Stormwater Runoff: Comparing Baseflow to Rainfall Events
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Microplastic concentrations in stormwater runoff were compared between dry baseflow conditions and rainfall-driven storm events in an urban watershed, finding significantly higher microplastic loads during rainfall events. The results identify stormwater as a major episodic pathway delivering microplastics from urban landscapes to receiving waterways.
Estimated discharge of microplastics via urban stormwater during individual rain events
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Researchers collected stormwater samples from 15 locations during rain events to assess microplastic discharge through urban runoff. The study found highly variable microplastic concentrations influenced by catchment characteristics, and provided estimates of the quantity of microplastics released to receiving waters during rain events, highlighting urban stormwater as an important pathway for microplastic pollution.
A plastic storm: The role of stormwater in the microplastic load of an urban river system
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Stormwater systems in urban areas were found to be a significant source of microplastics entering river systems, transporting particles from roads, buildings, and other surfaces during rainfall events. A fine-resolution study measured the types and quantities of microplastics carried by stormwater in an urban catchment, finding concentrations comparable to inputs from wastewater treatment plants. Better capture and treatment of urban stormwater is needed to reduce this largely unregulated pathway for microplastics reaching rivers and the ocean.
Microplastic emission characteristics of stormwater runoff in an urban area: Intra-event variability and influencing factors
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Researchers found that stormwater runoff from both industrial and residential urban catchments contained substantial microplastics (54–639 particles per liter), with polypropylene and polyethylene dominating, and that microplastic concentrations peaked early in rain events following longer dry periods.
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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.