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Retention of microplastics in sediments of urban and highway stormwater retention ponds
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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.
Urban and highway surfaces discharge polluted runoff during storm events. To mitigate environmental risks, stormwater retention ponds are commonly constructed to treat the runoff water. This study is the first to quantify the retention of microplastics in the sediments of such ponds. It applied state-of-art FTIR-methods to analyse the composition, size, shape, and mass of microplastics in the range 10-2000 μm. Seven ponds serving four land uses were investigated, and the results are related to catchment characteristics, sediment organic matter content, and hydraulic loading. We have not found a correlation between the microplastics abundance, polymer composition, size distribution and the land use in the catchment, as well as the sediment organic matter content. Both the highest (127,986 items kg-1; 28,732 μg kg-1) and the lowest (1511 items kg-1; 115 μg kg-1) accumulation of microplastics were found in the sediments of ponds serving industrial areas. There was, however, a correlation to the hydraulic loading of the ponds, where the sediments of the highest-loaded ponds held the most microplastics. This study shows that sediments in stormwater retention ponds can trap some of the microplastics and prevent them from being transported downstream. These systems need to be considered when assessing the fate of microplastics from urban and highway areas.
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