Open AccessThe effect of urban point source contamination on microplastic levels in water and organisms in a cold‐water stream
Author(s) -
Simmerman Claire B.,
Coleman Wasik Jill K.
Publication year - 2020
Publication title -
limnology and oceanography letters
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
ISSN - 2378-2242
DOI - 10.1002/lol2.10138
Subject(s) - trout , environmental science , stormwater , contamination , environmental chemistry , rainbow trout , outfall , invertebrate , wastewater , pollution , nonpoint source pollution , water column , hydrology (agriculture) , fishery , ecology , environmental engineering , chemistry , fish <actinopterygii> , surface runoff , biology , geology , geotechnical engineering
We examined the influence of point and nonpoint source contamination on microplastic (MP) levels in water, macroinvertebrates, and trout in a small, cold‐water stream in western Wisconsin, U.S.A. We collected samples along an urbanization gradient centered around a 6‐mile corridor that receives numerous MP inputs from stormwater outfalls and a wastewater plant. We digested samples using a wet peroxide oxidation method. Particles filtered from digestates were stained with Nile Red dye, then viewed using fluorescence microscopy. We quantified fluorescing MPs using ImageJ software. MP concentrations in water increased significantly from upstream to downstream reaches and appeared to influence organism MP levels. Macroinvertebrates and trout collected upstream of the city had significantly lower MP levels than macroinvertebrates and trout collected within the city, and for trout, downstream of the city. MP particle lengths were significantly longer in macroinvertebrates compared to water and trout, perhaps indicating preferential accumulation of longer particles from the water column.