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Intensive Sampling for Microplastic Pollution in the Mohawk River, Eastern New York State
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Researchers collected planktonic and sediment samples along the Mohawk River and Erie Canal using manta trawls and Ekman grab samplers, using Raman spectroscopy to identify microplastics and even match paint fragments from canal locks found in river samples.
Microplastics are commonly defined as plastic particles less than 5 mm in diameter, whether deliberately manufactured to be that size or resulting from the fragmentation or erosion of larger pieces of plastic. Despite recent legislative bans, many personal care products such as facial scrubs still use tiny particles of plastic as abrasives. Plastic fibers, such as those released by laundering of polyester fleece, also make up part of the microplastic load potentially reaching waterways. Microplastic particles are a health hazard for aquatic organisms and an undesirable component of public water supplies. We are investigating the extent to which microplastic particles, both from personal care products and from other sources, are reaching the Mohawk River in upstate New York. The Mohawk River is the main tributary of the Hudson River, coinciding with the Erie Canal for stretches downriver from Rome, NY (43.20256° N, 75.47824° W), and serves as the water supply for several municipalities (e.g., Latham, NY). We used a manta trawl deployed from a rigid inflatable boat to collect 60 samples of planktonic material along the 112-mile section of the Mohawk River and/or Erie Canal between Rome, NY, and the Crescent Dam in Cohoes, NY (42.80685° N, 73.72276° W). Each trawl lasted for ~1 mile. We used an Ekman grab sampler to collect 64 samples of channel sediment along the same section of the Mohawk River and/or Erie Canal. Sample processing for planktonic samples includes sieving and wet peroxide oxidation to remove organic material. Sample processing for sediment grab samples includes drying, sieving, density separation, and wet peroxide oxidation. Anthropogenic particles that contain dye are easiest to spot under a microscope. Laboratory analyses are currently underway; preliminary results indicate that the majority of the planktonic samples include dyed particles. Raman spectroscopy provides definitive identification of plastics and other anthropogenic materials, including paint. We used Raman spectroscopy to match fragments of paint found in planktonic samples previously collected from the near-shore Mohawk and Hudson Rivers to the type of paint used on some of the locks on the Erie Canal.
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Microplastic Pollution in Tributaries of the Mohawk River, New York State
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Researchers found microplastics in nearly all 22 tributaries of the Mohawk River in New York — a source of municipal drinking water — and observed that storm events can dramatically spike microplastic loads, suggesting small streams and storm sewers are significant but overlooked pathways for plastic contamination of drinking water sources.
Pervasive Microplastic Pollution Found in the Mohawk River, New York State
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Researchers surveyed 63 planktonic trawl samples and 64 sediment grab samples across 112 miles of the Mohawk River and Erie Canal, finding microplastics in every sample, with highest particle abundances downstream of major urban centers like Utica and Schenectady.
Elevated Microplastic Concentration in a Small Tributary Stream Under High-flow Conditions: Implications for the Mohawk River, New York
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Microplastic concentrations in a small New York tributary stream surged to 125 particles per cubic meter during high-flow conditions—roughly ten times the low-flow baseline—correlating with storm drain inflow and sewage leakage. This demonstrates that rainfall events dramatically amplify microplastic transport from urban infrastructure into waterways, with implications for downstream river and drinking water contamination.
Characterizing Microplastic Pollution in New York State Waterways
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Researchers investigating microplastic pollution in New York State waterways found that plastic fragments — not just the spherical microbeads from personal care products — were the dominant form of contamination. The findings highlight how diverse and widespread microplastic sources are, complicating efforts to reduce their entry into freshwater systems.
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.
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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.