Smart Management of Microplastic Pollution in the Great Lakes

Session: Microplastics in the Environment: Source, Fate, Impact, Detection, and Mitigation (1)

Yongli Zhang, Wayne State University, [email protected]
Mark Cheng, Wayne State University, Electrical and Computer Engineering, [email protected]
Carol Miller, Wayne State University, 2154 Engineering Bldg, [email protected]
Weisong Shi, Wayne State University, [email protected]
Donna Kashian, Wayne State University, [email protected]
Rahul Mitra, Wayne State University, [email protected]
Lara Treemore-Spears, Wayne State University, [email protected]
Michelle Beloskur, Ingham Conservation District, [email protected]

Abstract

Water pollution due to the widespread presence of microplastics is an urgent global problem. In the Great Lakes, studies found an average surface water concentration of 43,000 microplastic particles per km2 with a maximum of nearly two million particles per km2 in the Detroit River. It is estimated that 10,000 metric tons of plastic enter the Great Lakes every year. Reducing microplastics associated with anthropogenic pollution is one top priority for regional, national and international clean water efforts. Some of the immediate needs include analytical methods of microplastics, identifying sources of microplastic pollution, and translational research and outreach programs to educate the public for pollution prevention. Our work is to address these immediate needs to reduce microplastic pollution in the Great Lakes ecosystem through technology development and targeted outreach and mitigation initiatives.  A novel sensing technology is under development to enable in-situ quantification / characterization of microplastics in water. The developed sensors will be deployed in two pilot testing sites to monitor microplastic inputs from different pollution sources. This information will be integrated into targeted outreach and mitigation initiatives to reduce microplastic pollution in the Great Lakes.