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Presence of Microplastics in Nebraska
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This preliminary study surveyed microplastic abundance in freshwater environments across Nebraska, one of the first investigations of microplastic pollution in a landlocked US state far from the coast. The findings confirm that microplastics are present even in inland US waters, extending the known geographic distribution of this pollutant.
Small plastic particles smaller than five millimeters are commonly referred to as microplastics and represent a pollutant of increasing concern. The majority of research performed to date has been conducted in the marine environment; however, in recent years there has been an increased effort to study microplastics within the freshwater environment. Results published thus far indicate microplastics have a ubiquitous presence in the environment. Currently, there is no information on microplastic abundances within the state of Nebraska. The goal of this research was to perform a preliminary investigation into the existence of microplastics in water bodies within the state and the potential microplastic contributions of wastewater treatment plants (WWTP). In pursuit of this goal, two types of samples were collected: environmental samples from five water bodies and contamination vector samples from two WWTP. Environmental samples consisted of shoreline sediments collected by citizen scientists and were processed using an elutriation column and published methods. Contamination vector samples from the two WWTP consisted of effluent samples and finished biosolids samples. Effluent samples were processed according to published methods while the biosolids were processed using a method developed during this research project that allowed approximately four times greater sample volumes to be used than previously published methods. Results indicate microplastics exist in Nebraska in abundances similar to those published in literature. The environmental samples fell within the bounds of previously reported results although high sample variance made it difficult to draw any definitive conclusions. Samples collected from the WWTP indicate they are a significant contributor of microplastics into the environment. Microplastic abundances were much higher in the contamination vector samples than those of the environmental samples. In addition, microplastic abundances in both WWTP effluent and biosolids samples found in this study were significantly higher than those reported in literature values. Additional research is proposed to better quantify microplastic abundance and increase understanding of the fate and transport of these particles within Nebraska’s environment. Adviser: Shannon Bartelt-Hunt
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This study assessed microplastic concentrations in water and benthic sediment across multiple sites in Kansas, contributing rare inland data from the Great Plains region where most microplastic research has previously focused on marine environments. Results showed that microplastics are present in freshwater ecosystems far from the coast, with potential for chemical leaching into aquatic organisms.
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Researchers surveyed microplastic concentrations in 132 lakes across Iowa, examining how biological, physical, and human factors influence plastic levels. Lakes near populated areas and with greater human activity showed higher microplastic concentrations, demonstrating that freshwater lakes are broadly contaminated by plastic pollution.
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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.