A Pan-Great Lakes Investigation of Plastic Pellet Pollution

Session: Microplastics in Freshwater Systems: Advances in Chemistry, Biology and Physics (2)

Patricia Corcoran, University of Western Ontario, [email protected]
Ian Arturo, The University of Western Ontario, [email protected]
Sara Belontz, University of Western Ontario, [email protected]
Lorena Rios Mendoza, University of Wisconsin-Superior, , [email protected]
Carolyn Hill, University of Western Ontario, [email protected]
Kelly Jazvac, Concordia University, [email protected]

Abstract

Plastic pre-production pellets are primary microplastic particles that are melted then extruded or molded into plastic products used in everyday life. Lost or discarded pellets, found on surface waters and beaches globally, pose a threat to seabirds and epipelagic organisms that ingest them because of their lipophilic nature, which allows chemicals to adsorb to their surfaces. We conducted a sampling program for pellets around all five Great Lakes to determine: 1) the most contaminated beaches, 2) the pathways through which pellets travel into the lakes, and 3) potential sources. In October, 2018, we surveyed 67 Great Lakes beaches. Pellet abundances ranged from 0-7371/m², with the greatest amounts near Sarnia and Goderich (Lake Huron), Oakville and Burlington (Ontario), Rossport and Katherine Cove (Superior), Sheboygan and Bay View (Michigan), and Holiday Harbour and Fort Erie (Erie). Nine out of ten sites are located within 5 km of a tributary, indicating that rivers and creeks are the main pellet pathways. Other factors controlling pellet distribution include proximity to plastic industry, surface current patterns, and sites of past pellet spills. Of the 333 pellets analyzed by Raman Spectroscopy thus far, 339 are composed of polyethylene, 23 are polypropylene, and 1 is polystyrene.