Open Access. Powered by Scholars. Published by Universities.®
- Publication Type
Articles 1 - 2 of 2
Full-Text Articles in Life Sciences
Anthropogenic Litter And Microplastic In Urban Streams: Abundance, Source, And Fate, Amanda Rae Mccormick
Anthropogenic Litter And Microplastic In Urban Streams: Abundance, Source, And Fate, Amanda Rae Mccormick
Master's Theses
The accumulation and ecological effects of anthropogenic litter (AL) and microplastic are well-documented in marine ecosystems, but these materials’ abundances in rivers is unknown. AL enters rivers from recreation, runoff, and illegal dumping. Microplastic fibers and pellets are abundant in wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) effluent which enters rivers. Our objectives were to: (1) quantify AL abundance and composition in urban streams, (2) measure AL flux, accumulation, and export, and (3) measure riverine microplastic concentration and analyze its bacterial communities. We collected AL from 5 urban streams and observed greater AL density in riparian habitats and greater mass in benthic habitats. …
Anthropogenic Litter In Urban Freshwater Ecosystems: Distribution And Microbial Interactions, Timothy Hoellein, Miguel Rojas, Adam Pink, Joseph Gasior, John J. Kelly
Anthropogenic Litter In Urban Freshwater Ecosystems: Distribution And Microbial Interactions, Timothy Hoellein, Miguel Rojas, Adam Pink, Joseph Gasior, John J. Kelly
Biology: Faculty Publications and Other Works
Accumulation of anthropogenic litter (i.e. garbage; AL) and its ecosystem effects in marine environments are well documented. Rivers receive AL from terrestrial habitats and represent a major source of AL to marine environments, but AL is rarely studied within freshwater ecosystems. Our objectives were to 1) quantify AL density in urban freshwaters, 2) compare AL abundance among freshwater, terrestrial, and marine ecosystems, and 3) characterize the activity and composition of AL biofilms in freshwater habitats. We quantified AL from the Chicago River and Chicago's Lake Michigan shoreline, and found that AL abundance in Chicago freshwater ecosystems was comparable to previously …