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It’s Complicated: Spatial and Temporal Variation in Microplastic Pollution in Seneca Lake, Finger Lakes, New York, Usa
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Researchers conducted seven sampling cruises across Seneca Lake in 2022 to assess spatial and temporal variability of microplastic contamination in a major drinking water source, finding that concentrations fluctuate daily with wind patterns, lake currents, and limnological conditions. The study found that focusing solely on wastewater treatment is insufficient, as precipitation, streams, and atmospheric deposition also contribute significantly to lake contamination.
Microplastics—particles and fibers of synthetic polymers smaller than 5 mm in diameter—are ubiquitous in the environment and may constitute a danger to human and ecosystem health. Understanding microplastic contamination in human drinking water sources like Seneca Lake is particularly urgent. In 2021, we examined a handful of samples from Seneca Lake, which provides drinking water to 100,000 residents of the Finger Lakes region. From this small number of samples, clear patterns emerged: Fibers dominated all samples; contamination in surface water was higher than bottom water; and microplastic concentrations were higher at the north end of the lake. In 2022, we sought to document spatial and temporal variability in more detail. We sampled surface and bottom water at 11 sites along a 24 km transect in the northern half of the lake and extracted microplastics from water using a vacuum filter system and 0.45 µm Millipore filters. We correlated these measurements with meteorological variables. Over seven cruises between 17 May and 29 June 2022 we found tremendous variability in microplastic contamination. More data complicated the preliminary relationship between surface and deep water. Surface water closer to the north end of the lake generally contained more microplastic particles, still dominantly fibers, but only after several days of sustained wind from the south. There was no consistent relationship between contamination and the time since last rainfall suggesting that precipitation, stream, and storm runoff aren’t systematically increasing contamination. Our data show that 1) microplastic contamination is dynamic with patterns changing daily with limnological and meteorological conditions. This means that modeling and monitoring based on a few grab samples will be inaccurate. 2) We have identified microplastic inputs into the lake from precipitation, wastewater, and streams. Therefore, mitigation focused only on wastewater treatment will not significantly reduce microplastic contamination. We also report on significant factory contamination in the Millipore filters and describe our correction for this issue.
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Fibers, Fibers Everywhere: First Look at Microplastics in the Human Water Cycle of Seneca Lake, Finger Lakes of New York, Usa
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Researchers took a holistic approach to tracing microplastic sources and sinks in Seneca Lake, a drinking water source, sampling streams, wastewater, rainfall, air deposition, lake water, sediments, fish, and tap water. They found microplastics concentrated at the lake's north end driven by wind and currents, with PET fibers dominating and tap water containing approximately 1,000 particles per liter across all sampled buildings.
Spatiotemporal variability of microplastics in Muskoka-Haliburton headwater lakes, Ontario, Canada
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A survey of 14 headwater lakes in rural Ontario found average microplastic concentrations of 1.78 particles per liter, with atmospheric deposition identified as the dominant input source rather than local human activity or watershed size. Seasonal variability was pronounced, with summer concentrations roughly half those of spring, while sediment burial accounted for only 14% of annual removal, suggesting these pollutants persist in the water column.
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.
The Long & the Short of It: Can We Distinguish Microplastic Sources in Seneca Lake Using Fiber Length?
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Researchers used microplastic fiber length distributions in Seneca Lake sediments to attempt to distinguish between different pollution sources such as atmospheric deposition versus wastewater effluent. Developing source-attribution methods for microplastics is essential for prioritizing reduction strategies and understanding which human activities most significantly contribute to freshwater contamination.
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.
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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.