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Microplastics pollution in sediments of stormwater retention ponds in Edmonton, AB
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Researchers found microplastics in sediments of stormwater retention ponds in Edmonton, Canada, confirming that urban stormwater is a significant pathway for microplastic contamination of freshwater systems. The study highlights retention ponds as sites where microplastics accumulate during storm events.
Microplastic is a ubiquitous pollutant in the environment. They are ingested by organisms due to their microscopic size. Recent studies have shown that freshwater environments are contaminated with microplastics. Urban stormwater runoff contributes to microplastic pollution during storm events. Stormwater ponds are a significant study area for understanding the pathway of microplastics to enter rivers and serve as a network for transporting MP from land to water environment. Assessing the impact of urban runoff can help determine the sources of microplastics in Edmonton, Alberta. The sediments of twenty-four stormwater ponds were studied. The samples were characterized based on their land-use type as either Industrial, Natural, Residential, Agriculture, Highway or Park. The microplastics were extracted from each sediment to test the hypothesis of which anthropogenic catchment type contributes to microplastic pollution the most. The extraction was achieved using density separation and organic digestion methods. The samples were stained with Nile Red for quantification using microscopy. Two morphologies, fibres and fragments, were found from the practice sample, Cy-Becker. 76.9% of the particles found were fibre. 54.8% of the particles were blue, followed by 23.1% transparent and 7.7% each green, red and pink. Assessing the impact of urban sources of microplastic helps understand the fate of microplastics in freshwater systems. Department: Physical Sciences Faculty Mentor: Dr. Matthew Ross
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Researchers analyzed microplastics in the water, sediments, and vertebrate fauna of a stormwater retention pond, finding widespread microplastic contamination across all compartments with the pond appearing to act as a sink that concentrates microplastics from urban runoff.
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Stormwater retention ponds in both urban and highway settings were found to retain significant quantities of microplastics in their sediments, functioning as sinks that reduce downstream plastic loads during storm events. However, sediment disturbance during large storm events could remobilize accumulated plastics, limiting the long-term retention effectiveness.
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Researchers measured microplastic and microfiber concentrations in the South Saskatchewan River and stormwater retention ponds in Saskatoon, Canada. The study documents freshwater microplastic contamination in a prairie river system and identifies stormwater infrastructure as a pathway for plastic pollution into waterways.
Characteristics and fate of plastic pollution in urban stormwater ponds
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This study examined plastic pollution dynamics in urban stormwater retention ponds and found that ponds accumulate significant microplastic loads from stormwater runoff, acting as temporary sinks that can also release particles during high-flow events, challenging the assumption that stormwater infrastructure reduces plastic export to receiving waters.
Microplastics pollution in urban freshwater sediments: A descriptive assessment of land-use categories
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A study of stormwater retention ponds across different urban land uses in an unspecified city found that microplastic concentrations in pond sediments varied by land type, with levels linked to the surrounding activities such as residential, educational, and mixed-use development. Using Nile red fluorescence staining for identification, the research maps how urban stormwater systems accumulate microplastics and highlights these ponds as overlooked pollution hotspots. Understanding which land uses drive the most contamination can help target urban plastic management interventions.
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