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Microplastics and Plastic Waste in the Iowa Great Lakes as a Focus for Outdoor Experiential Environmental Education and Research
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Student research projects at Iowa Lakeside Laboratory documented plastic waste in the Iowa Great Lakes region, expanding microplastic research into freshwater systems that had previously received little attention. The work demonstrates that microplastic contamination is not limited to marine environments and that inland freshwater bodies serving as drinking water sources face similar pollution challenges.
At Iowa Lakeside Laboratory, emphasis is placed on “the study of nature in nature,” as professed by Thomas Macbride, founder of the lab. Lakeside Lab is an ideal setting for immersive place-based learning, and many potential projects present themselves as faculty and students at the lab engage with the waters, soils, landscapes, and underlying geology of the area. Considerable recent research has documented the nearly ubiquitous presence of microplastic fragments in oceans and freshwater aquatic settings; in soils, in fish, birds, and soil organisms; and even within plants. Starting from personal experiences involving balloons and other plastic waste on East Coast beaches, and an interest in the effects of ingestion of indigestible plastics by sea birds and sea turtles, I discovered a deep interest in the topic among students and the public. After initiating an affiliation with Iowa Lakeside Laboratory in 2018, I recognized that no work had been done on microplastic waste in the Iowa Great Lakes area. Since 2018, a number of student projects have been carried out, and in most cases, students have selected their topic area. These projects have built upon one another, in a sort of serial collaboration, involving students from K-12 to undergraduate college level, and both in-person and remote learners. So far, while we have collected and documented various discarded plastic waste materials in the areas studied, we have yet to successfully sample aquatic microplastics. This has provided opportunities to learn from negative results, and suggests directions and methodologies to pursue in potential future work.
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Microplastics have accumulated in the benthic sediments of the Great Lakes basin at concentrations reaching tens of thousands of particles per kilogram, with abundance linked to population density, proximity to industrial facilities, and water current patterns. Because these particles become buried over time, they are likely entering Earth's permanent geologic record while posing ongoing risks to bottom-dwelling organisms.
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.
Microplastics in Inland Small Waterbodies
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Researchers reviewed the growing body of research on microplastic contamination in small inland water bodies — ponds, ditches, and small streams — which are among the most numerous freshwater habitats on Earth but have received little attention compared to oceans and large rivers. These small water bodies may act as significant reservoirs and transport routes for microplastics moving through terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems.
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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.
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Microplastics were detected at all four Indiana beaches along southern Lake Michigan, with pellets and foam being the dominant types and concentrations rivaling those found in marine coastal environments. This confirms the Great Lakes as a significant freshwater reservoir of microplastic pollution, raising concerns about contamination of a major drinking water source.
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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.