An affordable methodology for quantifying waterborne microplastics - an emerging contaminant in inland-waters

Christian Dunn, Jedd Owens, Luke Fears, Laura Nunnerley, Julian Kirby, Oliver Armstrong, P. John Thomas, Dan Aberg, William Gilder, Dannielle Green, Rachael Antwis, Chris Freeman

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Abstract

The occurrence of microplastics in marine habitats is well documented and of growing concern. The presence of these small (<5 mm) pieces of plastic is less well recorded in inland water systems. In this paper, we determine a cost-efficient and straightforward method for the collection and identification of microplastics in UK inland waters. We found pieces of microplastic from all sample sites ranging from over 1000 L-1 in the River Tame, to 2.4 L-1 in Loch Lomond. The presence of microplastics in all waters tested suggest it should now be classed as an emergent contaminant, with routine monitoring required.
Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)92-95
Number of pages4
JournalJournal of Limnology
Volume79
Issue number1
Early online date13 Nov 2019
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - Feb 2020

Keywords

  • Microplastics
  • emergent contaminants
  • fluorescence microscopy
  • inland waters
  • plastic pollution

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