Previously undocumented in North American rivers, concentrations of microplastic particles in the St. Lawrence are as high as has been observed in the world’s most contaminated marine sediments.
A team of researchers from McGill University and the Quebec government have discovered microplastics (in the form of polyethylene ‘microbeads’, <2 mm diameter) widely distributed across the bottom of the St. Lawrence River, the first time such pollutants have been found in freshwater sediments. Their research was published this month in the Canadian Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences.
The microbeads likely originate from cosmetics, household cleansers, or industrial cleansers, to which they are commonly added as abrasives. Owing to their small size and buoyancy, they may readily pass through sewage treatment plants. Microplastics are a global contaminant in the world’s oceans, but have only recently been detected in the surface waters of lakes and rivers.
Researchers lowered a steel grab from a boat to collect sediment from ten locations along a 320 km section of the river from Lake St. Francis to Québec City. Microbeads were sieved from the sediment, and then sorted and counted under a microscope. “We found them in nearly every grab sample taken. The perfect multi-coloured spheres stood out from natural sediment, even though they were the size of sand grains,” said the lead author of the study, Rowshyra Castañeda, a former McGill MSc student (now at University of Toronto).
At some locations, the researchers measured over 1000 microbeads per liter of sediment, a magnitude that rivals the world’s most contaminated ocean sediments. “We were surprised to find such concentrations at the bottom of a river”, says McGill professor Anthony Ricciardi, who supervised the study. “It was previously assumed that floating microplastics are flushed through rivers to the sea. Now we have evidence that rivers can act as a sink for this pollution.”
The prevalence of microplastics in the St. Lawrence River raises the possibility that they are being consumed by fish and other animals. The environmental effects of microplastics are poorly known; but the surfaces of such particles attract chemical pollutants, including PCBs, which can be transferred to animals that ingest the plastics. “At present, we cannot predict the consequences of the accumulation of these non-biodegradable particles in freshwater ecosystems” added Ricciardi, whose lab is investigating whether the microbeads are being consumed by fish in the river.
The Latest on: Microplastic pollution
[google_news title=”” keyword=”Microplastic pollution” num_posts=”10″ blurb_length=”0″ show_thumb=”left”]
via Google News
The Latest on: Microplastic pollution
- Junior Wins Udall Scholarship, Rutgers’ First Recipient Since 2004on May 3, 2024 at 11:04 am
The 21-year-old is the first Rutgers student to be named a Udall Scholar since 2004, said Anne Wallen, director of the Office of Distinguished Fellowships at Rutgers-New Brunswick.
- IAEA Director General Visits Chile to Sign Agreements on Plastic Pollution and Lithium Miningon May 2, 2024 at 9:11 am
IAEA Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi and the Foreign Minister of Chile, Alberto van Klaveren, signed a Memorandum of Understanding to tackle plastic pollution in Antarctica on Tuesday. (Photo: ...
- The Environment Agency Abu Dhabi Assesses Microplastic Levels In Abu Dhabi's Marine Environmenton April 30, 2024 at 6:50 am
The Environment Agency – Abu Dhabi (EAD) and the Abu Dhabi Quality and Conformity Council (QCC) announced a landmark partnership to address the growing global challenge of microplastic pollution in ...
- Hydrogel to tackle microplastic pollutionon April 29, 2024 at 3:39 pm
Researchers from Indian Institute of Science (IISc) have designed a sustainable hydrogel to remove tiny plastic particles from water using UV light irradiation. The hydrogel consists of intertwined ...
- Researchers develop microplastic-free transparent maskon April 28, 2024 at 5:00 pm
The Korea Institute of Industrial Technology (KITECH) has introduced a new solution in the form of a transparent mask, addressing concerns surrounding microplastic pollution and harmful solvents ...
- Toxic microplastic hotspots found in Long Island Sound by CT nonprofit advocacy groupon April 28, 2024 at 2:00 am
The nonprofit Rozalia Project for a Clean Ocean found that most of the plastics in Long Island Sound probably started out as polyester fabrics.
- Mangrove blue carbon at higher risk of microplastic pollutionon April 22, 2024 at 6:09 am
Earth's oceans and coastal ecosystems are a major sink for carbon storage, known as blue carbon. Sequestration of carbon is vitally important in the fight against climate change as it 'locks away' ...
- Earth Day 2024: What Do We Know About Microplastic Pollution?on April 21, 2024 at 5:00 pm
Improved models, like this new Cornell model, will help scientists to better determine the sources of airborne microplastic pollution, the researchers say. “We can now more accurately attribute the ...
- Scientists Have Discovered the First Evidence of Microplastic Contamination in Archaeological Soil Sampleson April 15, 2024 at 3:41 am
For the first time, evidence of microplastic pollution has been identified in archaeological soil samples by researchers. The team discovered tiny microplastic particles in deposits located more than ...
- Microplastic 'hotspots' identified in Long Island Soundon April 9, 2024 at 5:00 pm
More information: Rachael Z. Miller et al, Microplastic and anthropogenic microfiber pollution in the surface waters of the East River and Long Island Sound, USA, Regional Studies in Marine ...
via Bing News