Research Mentor(s)
Sofield, Ruth
Description
Recent work has shown that microplastics are present in glaciers. This is a concern for water bodies such as Ross Lake (WA) where glacier runoff may transport the microplastics into the watershed and be available to aquatic organisms. Currently there is no evaluation of how organism storage methods may impact microplastic recovery. In this study microplastic type and color in whole body Richardsonius balteatus (redside shiners) from Ross Lake were counted. Fish were collected from Ross Lake on July 6th, 2019. Approximately half of the samples were stored in ethanol and the remainder on ice. Characteristics including color and type (fragment, pellet, fiber, film, and foam) of recovered microplastics were compared between the two groups. To date, 43 fish stored in ethanol and 53 stored on ice have been analyzed. The average wet mass of ethanol-stored and ice-stored was 0.4329 and 0.3590g. A total of 478 total microplastics were identified in fish stored in ethanol (11.4 per fish). All the samples in ethanol had fibers; black fibers were the most prevalent at 39.11% of all fibers. Fragments, films, and foams were in 1% of the samples, and no pellets were observed. A total of 283 total microplastics were found in the samples stored on ice (5.3 per fish). Fibers were found in 97% of the fish; black fibers account for 29.93% of all fibers. Fragments and films were in 3.2% of plastics in all samples stored on-ice, with no pellets or foams observed.
Document Type
Event
Start Date
18-5-2020 12:00 AM
End Date
22-5-2020 12:00 AM
Department
Toxicology
Genre/Form
student projects, posters
Type
Image
Keywords
Microplastics, Glaciers, Watersheds
Rights
Copying of this document in whole or in part is allowable only for scholarly purposes. It is understood, however, that any copying or publication of this document for commercial purposes, or for financial gain, shall not be allowed without the author’s written permission.
Language
English
Format
application/pdf
Included in
Microplastic Monitoring in Richardsonius balteatus from Ross Lake, WA
Recent work has shown that microplastics are present in glaciers. This is a concern for water bodies such as Ross Lake (WA) where glacier runoff may transport the microplastics into the watershed and be available to aquatic organisms. Currently there is no evaluation of how organism storage methods may impact microplastic recovery. In this study microplastic type and color in whole body Richardsonius balteatus (redside shiners) from Ross Lake were counted. Fish were collected from Ross Lake on July 6th, 2019. Approximately half of the samples were stored in ethanol and the remainder on ice. Characteristics including color and type (fragment, pellet, fiber, film, and foam) of recovered microplastics were compared between the two groups. To date, 43 fish stored in ethanol and 53 stored on ice have been analyzed. The average wet mass of ethanol-stored and ice-stored was 0.4329 and 0.3590g. A total of 478 total microplastics were identified in fish stored in ethanol (11.4 per fish). All the samples in ethanol had fibers; black fibers were the most prevalent at 39.11% of all fibers. Fragments, films, and foams were in 1% of the samples, and no pellets were observed. A total of 283 total microplastics were found in the samples stored on ice (5.3 per fish). Fibers were found in 97% of the fish; black fibers account for 29.93% of all fibers. Fragments and films were in 3.2% of plastics in all samples stored on-ice, with no pellets or foams observed.