MOVEMENT OF MICROPLASTICS IN THE CATAWBA RIVER BASIN

Microplastics, or pieces of plastic smaller than 5.0 mm in diameter, are present in many waterways, and the impact that they have on the environment and human health is not yet fully understood. The Catawba River Basin is an important water source in Mecklenburg County and surrounding areas, so researching the accumulation and movement of microplastics in these waterways has important implications within studies of marine pollution and environmental health. We analyzed the prevalence of microplastics in the Catawba River Basin by sampling water from seven different locations along the Catawba River and its major tributaries. At each site, we took both grab samples and volume-reduced samples, though we concluded that volume-reduced sampling did not produce reliable results; thus, our results are based solely on grab samples. We found that fibers are the most prevalent kinds of microplastics in this environment across all samples, and that the concentrations of microplastics varied greatly between sites. The results of this pilot study imply that plastic fibers pollution is very problematic in this area, and that more extensive study is required to determine how these plastics enter and are transported through the environment in the future. Future studies on this topic may be used to inform efforts to prevent microplastics pollution.