Detection and Analysis of Nanoplastics in Presque Isle Bay

Abstract:

The presence of microplastics in the Great Lakes has been well established over the past decade, raising immediate concerns because of the threat they pose to the environment, delicate ecosystems, and the economy. On the other hand, research on nanoplastics in the Great Lakes has so far been limited. Nanoplastics have diameters <100 nm and can derive from fragmentation of macroscopic plastic pollution, synthetic fibers, and microbeads. They pose additional experimental challenges due to the lack of reliable separation techniques and difficulties associated with observing these smaller particles. The purpose of our study is to confirm the presence of nanoplastics in Presque Isle Bay in Lake Erie and to characterize their prevalence and identity. We collected a series of water samples from Presque Isle Bay using a combination of grab sampling techniques along the shoreline and van Dorn sampling within the Bay. Samples were collected at different locations and depths to determine possible trends with number of nanoplastics extracted. A 5-step dead-end filtration process was used to isolate nanoparticles from each sample. Initial work to characterize the prevalence and identity of observed nanoparticles was performed using atomic force microscopy, dynamic light scattering measurements, and infrared spectroscopy. These data may be used to inform future prevention methods to decrease the rate at which nanoplastics enter Presque Isle Bay, as well as remediation methods that could eventually allow for nanoplastics to be extracted and upcycled efficiently into a circular economy.