Assessing the toxicity and burial of microplastics in freshwater lake sediments

Session: Poster Session

Kristina Chomiak, Rochester Institute of Technology, [email protected]
Matthew Hoffman, Rochester Inst. of Technology, School of Mathematical Sci., [email protected]
Nathan Eddingsaas, Rochester Institute of Technology, [email protected]
Christy Tyler, Rochester Institute of Technology, [email protected]

Abstract

The mass production of single-use plastics and microplastics has led to increased plastic wastes entering landfills and water bodies. Particularly in aquatic ecosystems, accumulations of plastic can present lethal or sublethal impacts on organisms. Recent models of plastic movement in the Great Lakes predict that plastics may sink to the bottom where they may become buried in sediments.  This poses risk to benthic invertebrates that are key drivers of ecosystem function. While not well-understood, ingestion of microplastics by benthic invertebrates may have negative impacts at both the organismal and ecosystem levels. This study uses Lumbriculus variegatus, an important ecosystem engineer in freshwater systems, as a model organism.  We use standard toxicological experiments to assess both lethal and sublethal impacts of different types of plastic, and measure the role of L. variegatus in the burial and resuspension of microplastic particles. We predict that ingestion of these materials will lead to sublethal impacts such as reduced weight, reduced pulsation rate, and reduced locomotive function that in turn reduce bioturbation, burial of microplastics, and control of benthic biogeochemical processes.