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Microplastic Contamination in Karst Groundwater Systems
Author(s) -
Panno Samuel V.,
Kelly Walton R.,
Scott John,
Zheng Wei,
McNeish Rachel E.,
Holm Nancy,
Hoellein Timothy J.,
Baranski Elizabeth L.
Publication year - 2019
Publication title -
groundwater
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.84
H-Index - 94
eISSN - 1745-6584
pISSN - 0017-467X
DOI - 10.1111/gwat.12862
Subject(s) - karst , aquifer , microplastics , groundwater , contamination , environmental science , pollutant , hydrology (agriculture) , environmental chemistry , effluent , environmental engineering , geology , ecology , chemistry , geotechnical engineering , paleontology , biology
Groundwater in karst aquifers constitutes about 25% of drinking water sources globally. Karst aquifers are open systems, susceptible to contamination by surface‐borne pollutants. In this study, springs and wells from two karst aquifers in Illinois, USA, were found to contain microplastics and other anthropogenic contaminants. All microplastics were fibers, with a maximum concentration of 15.2 particles/L. The presence of microplastic was consistent with other parameters, including phosphate, chloride and triclosan, suggesting septic effluent as a source. More studies are needed on microplastic sources, abundance, and impacts on karst ecosystems.