Microplastics: Environmental Forensic

Session: Poster Session

Chia-An Lin, University of Wisconsin- Superior , [email protected]
Lorena Rios Mendoza, University of Wisconsin-Superior, , [email protected]

Abstract

Plastic debris can be found everywhere. Microplastics (MPs)are pervasivecontaminants to our freshwater environment. Macro and Micro plastic particles are found on shorelines surrounding Lake Superior, the largest freshwater lake in the world. In this research, we propose that fish from Lake Superior are ingesting MPs. We received fish guts collected by the Great Lakes Indian Fish and Wildlife Commission (GLIFWC) and used forensic methods to analyze the MPs pollution. The method we used to extract MPs from the guts was involving 30% potassium hydroxide and hydrogen peroxide to digest fish guts. Different sizes of sieves were used to filter and collect MPs. The identification of the type of synthetic polymers involved using a micro-Fourier-transform infrared with attenuated total reflectance spectrometer (µFTIR-ATR). The results showed 175 MP particles in total and only two fragments. 57% of fibers were identified as synthetic polymers (cellophane, copolymer, and PET), 10 % were identified as cotton, and 33% as not plastic polymer. Fragments were identified as copolymers.