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Transportation of Microplastics to Terrestrial Dunes from the Shorelines of Lake Ontario and Lake Erie, Ny
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Microplastics from Great Lakes shorelines are transported landward by onshore winds and deposited in terrestrial dune sediments along Lakes Ontario and Erie, demonstrating that wind-driven transport extends microplastic contamination beyond aquatic environments. This previously undocumented pathway suggests microplastic pollution in dune ecosystems may be more widespread than current aquatic-focused monitoring captures.
Microplastics have been present in the world for many years, however, the study of microplastics is a new field. Microplastics are plastic pollutants that are less than 5 mm in size, commonly in the form of spheres, disks, fragments, and fibers. Biologists have studied the interaction of microplastics on aquatic organisms. However, geological studies are in their infancy. This study observed microplastics in terrestrial dune sediments rather than their abundances in lakes, oceans, and on shorelines. Most previous studies have focused on transport of microplastics from land to aquatic systems. There is little to no information on landward transportation of microplastics. Microplastics were observed, collected, and analyzed from multiple locations along the shores of two Great Lakes in New York and Pennsylvania. Samples were collected from terrestrial dunes on the shores of Lake Erie and Lake Ontario. Sixteen samples from five locations were collected along Lake Erie: Sunset Bay, Dunkirk Harbor, Point Gratiot, Presque Isle State Park (PA), and a dune located at the mouth of the Canadaway Creek, Dunkirk, NY. At Sandy Island Beach State Park on Lake Ontario, 6 samples were taken, along three points in the dunes. Two samples were collected from each location: surface samples and shallow sub-surface samples. Standard sieve analyses were performed on each sample. Large microplastics were picked out if visible. Smaller microplastics were separated by density with a dilute lithium metatungstate solution. Microplastics were found in the majority of samples of dune sediment collected. More microplastics were found in the surface samples than the sub-surface dune sand. Fragments and disk shaped plastics were present in greater abundance than spheres and fibers, suggesting that these shapes are more susceptible to aeolian transport than spheres and fibers. The presence of microplastics in terrestrial dunes suggests an entirely new field of investigation. Although the ecological ramifications of microplastics in lacustrine and marine ecosystems have been investigated, the impact of these pollutants in terrestrial ecosystems is completely unstudied. The widespread presence of microplastics in terrestrial, as well as aquatic systems suggests that these pollutants may be significant markers in the future rock record.
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Covariance of Particle Size and Shape of Microplastic Pollutants Transported to Terrestrial Dunes from the Shores of Lake Erie and Lake Ontario, Ny and Pa
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Wind-driven transport deposits microplastics of diverse sizes and shapes—including spheres, fragments, and fibers—from Great Lakes shorelines into terrestrial dune sediments, with surface and subsurface samples both showing contamination. The covariance of particle size and shape in these deposits reflects the physical sorting processes of aeolian transport, informing how microplastics disperse beyond aquatic systems into terrestrial landscapes.
Microplastics in Beach Sediment Along Southern Shores of Lake Michigan
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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.
Nurdles: Impact of Primary Microplastic Sources on Their Presence in Great Lakes Beach Sediment
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Researchers investigated the sources of preproduction plastic pellets (nurdles) in Great Lakes beach sediment by mapping railroads, manufacturers, ports, and known spill sites within 10 km of shore. Infrared spectroscopy revealed minimal weathering on collected nurdles, suggesting recent local industrial releases rather than long-range environmental transport.
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Researchers documented that microplastics smaller than five millimeters are present throughout the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence River system, from tributary streams to the Atlantic Ocean. This finding suggests that the Great Lakes region is both a major accumulation zone and a transport pathway for microplastic pollution into the broader marine environment.
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Surveys of southeastern Lake Michigan beaches identified microplastics including industrial nurdles and shotgun wads from non-local sources, with beach wrack zones acting as accumulation hotspots for both macro- and microplastics. These findings suggest that lake currents and river transport are delivering plastic debris to freshwater beaches far from their point of origin.
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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.