Sampling Microplastics and Extremophiles Organisms on Balloon Borne Payloads.

Microplastics have been found in almost all environments on the planet. They are microscopic plastic particles that range between 5 mm and 100 nm in size. There are two categories of microplastics, primary or secondary plastics. Within this research we focus on secondary microplastics. These secondary microplastics are created through the fragmentation and degradation of macroplastics, including fibers from synthetic textiles. The distinction between the two types is essential towards understanding of how these plastics are transported. Considering the size could affect aerodynamics, therefore atmospheric transportation. Additionally, the possibility of these plastics entering our environment pose unknown risks, with lasting effects of high quantities of these microplastics within the environment being unknown. Various marine and aquatic life have been shown to adapt to microplastics within their environments already, since microplastics are released into the ocean and waterways, while the water cycle can elevate them to atmospheric levels. These weathered plastics particulates are floating at an unknown concentration above Fairbanks, Alaska and most polar regions around the world. Extremophiles are microorganisms that thrive in extreme environments, such as the upper atmosphere and within polar ice regions. There is no data published about the effects of microplastics on extremophiles within the upper atmosphere. While there are studies that show aquatic organisms adapting to the microplastics in their environment, the effects of microplastics on extremophiles within the upper atmosphere are unknown. The experiment described here consists of a balloon-born instrument that will fly up to 15 km and begin pumping air through a filter using a sterile bellows system powered by a motor. The bellows system will supply a flow rate of 0.3 cubic meters per minute through the filter as it flies. The balloon payload will fly to 30 km and then descend to 15 km where the bellows system will stop and the filter will be sealed to ensure no further airflow through it. The altitude will be calculated by a pressure sensor connected to a microcontroller. The payload will have 3 different GPS systems for redundancy and power will be supplied by four 18650 batteries to ensure power is not lost during the flight. Ground collection systems will also be built and deployed at different times and sites in Fairbanks, Alaska, and Houston, Texas. The ground collection systems will be set up to collect precipitation and deposition for an allotted amount of time at each site. Collected microplastic samples 10 μm and larger will be measured and analyzed by Raman Spectroscopy. Samples of extremophiles will be analyzed via PCR and 16S rRNA sequencing. We expect to measure the concentrations of microplastics and microorganisms in the stratosphere and analyze any observed relations between the microbes and the plastic particulates collected. With the ground collection system, we expect to measure the concentrations of microplastic “rainfall” between urban and rural areas and make comparisons with the data.