Microplastics (MPs) are &lt; 5 mm sized plastic particles. They are being extensively studied in the ocean but not very much in inland waterways such as rivers. This is important because the plastics enter the environment in cities upstream of the ocean and degrade as they are transported downriver towards the ocean. We have been working on the following hypotheses: (1) Plastic pollution quantities, sizes, and compositions in freshwater systems (downstream locations) can be predicted from their relative contributions in the municipal solid waste stream (sources) and the environmental stresses experienced by the plastics during their downstream transport (degradation and transport processes) and (2) More MPs concentrate in floodplains than on the bed of rivers and locations with physical characteristics that promote fine sediment deposition along rivers are MP hotspots. This presentation will show results quantifying more MPs are found in the floodplain and the average MP size and distribution correlates with the location along the river. Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy is used to identify MPs and potential degradation mechanisms. We are starting to build a model of plastic breaking and degradation motivated by environmental stress cracking that shows how a large plastic component becomes an MP.

Transport and characterization of microplastics in inland waterways

2019 Fall National Meeting

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