A Preliminary Study of the Microplastics in Big Creek and the Saline River in Ellis County, Ks

Public awareness of microplastics in our water and local environment has been steadily increasing over the past several years. It is important for us to be aware of microplastic contamination, especially as the effects of microplastics in surface water and drinking water are still poorly understood (Pereao et al., 2020). The procedures for sampling and estimating microplastics vary greatly between studies and can create problems when comparing results. In an effort to gain a broad understanding of microplastics and how they could be affecting the water bodies in our local area, water samples were collected from two rural western Kansas rivers. Big Creek and the Saline River were sampled in a variety of locations on multiple occasions. These rivers’ headwaters are located in remote western KS where population densities are sparse. Our sampling took place at locations along these rivers prior to them reaching major metropolitan areas. We sampled Big Creek near Hays, KS upriver from the wastewater treatment facility effluent location. A previous undergraduate research project had identified microplastics coming out of the newly updated plant in the effluent outflow. By sampling upriver from this location, we hoped to add to the knowledge of the microplastic contamination prior to reaching the more populated area of Hays, KS. The samples were examined for microplastics with the aid of a microscope and a UV-A light. Our first attempts at sampling were limited due to low water levels. Big Creek appeared to have substantially more microplastics, but the Saline River had limited flow due to drought conditions. Ongoing sampling efforts are taking place to better determine the point counts of plastics in each river. This study will benefit from long-term sampling occurring at different flow rates and discharge conditions.