TRANSPORTATION OF MICROPLASTICS TO TERRESTRIAL DUNES FROM THE SHORELINES OF LAKE ONTARIO AND LAKE ERIE, NY

Microplastics have been present in the world for many years, however, the study of microplastics is a new field. Microplastics are plastic pollutants that are less than 5 mm in size, commonly in the form of spheres, disks, fragments, and fibers. Biologists have studied the interaction of microplastics on aquatic organisms. However, geological studies are in their infancy.

This study observed microplastics in terrestrial dune sediments rather than their abundances in lakes, oceans, and on shorelines. Most previous studies have focused on transport of microplastics from land to aquatic systems. There is little to no information on landward transportation of microplastics.

Microplastics were observed, collected, and analyzed from multiple locations along the shores of two Great Lakes in New York and Pennsylvania. Samples were collected from terrestrial dunes on the shores of Lake Erie and Lake Ontario. Sixteen samples from five locations were collected along Lake Erie: Sunset Bay, Dunkirk Harbor, Point Gratiot, Presque Isle State Park (PA), and a dune located at the mouth of the Canadaway Creek, Dunkirk, NY. At Sandy Island Beach State Park on Lake Ontario, 6 samples were taken, along three points in the dunes. Two samples were collected from each location: surface samples and shallow sub-surface samples. Standard sieve analyses were performed on each sample. Large microplastics were picked out if visible. Smaller microplastics were separated by density with a dilute lithium metatungstate solution.

Microplastics were found in the majority of samples of dune sediment collected. More microplastics were found in the surface samples than the sub-surface dune sand. Fragments and disk shaped plastics were present in greater abundance than spheres and fibers, suggesting that these shapes are more susceptible to aeolian transport than spheres and fibers.

The presence of microplastics in terrestrial dunes suggests an entirely new field of investigation. Although the ecological ramifications of microplastics in lacustrine and marine ecosystems have been investigated, the impact of these pollutants in terrestrial ecosystems is completely unstudied. The widespread presence of microplastics in terrestrial, as well as aquatic systems suggests that these pollutants may be significant markers in the future rock record.