MICROPLASTIC POLLUTION IN NEW YORK STATE WATERWAYS: A FUTURE BIOMARKER FOR THE ANTHROPOCENE?

Personal care products such as facial scrubs and whitening toothpastes commonly rely on tiny particles of plastic and/or plastic beads for their abrasive properties. With diameters of <1 mm, these microplastic particles (including both near-spherical “microbeads” and particles with irregular shapes) can enter the aquatic food chain via wastewater. We are investigating whether microplastic particles from personal care products are reaching major waterways of eastern New York State. In 2013, samples of planktonic material were collected at 17 sites in the near-shore channels of the lower Mohawk River between Utica and Waterford, NY, and the upper Hudson River between Selkirk and Troy, NY. To date, we have found only a few of the spherical microbeads that are commonly associated with personal care products. Instead, much of the plastic material we have recovered is in the form of plastic fragments. In light of these findings, we reexamined the microplastic particles in nine personal care products (seven scrubs and two toothpastes). Only three of the products contained spherical microbeads, while all nine contained smaller irregularly-shaped translucent plastic particles that mimic the appearance of angular quartz grains. Most of the particles float at the surface, but some remain suspended within the water column. This investigation suggests that the distribution of microplastic particles in the fluvial environment, and by extension, in the marine environment, is more complex than might be expected. The recognition of microplastic pollution in waterways and increasing public awareness of the issue have motivated the introduction of legislation to ban microplastic-bearing products at both the federal and state levels, although few bills have been signed into law so far. In addition, a number of major manufacturers have already phased out microplastics in their products, or have pledged to phase them out soon (typically 2015 to 2017). Personal care products containing microplastics are still available in stores, however, and thus the potential for continued microplastic pollution through the wastewater stream remains – for now. If the days of using microplastics in personal care products are truly numbered, future geologists may be able to use the presence of microplastic particles as a dating tool in sediment cores.