Poster Details
VARIATIONS IN RIVERINE MICROPLASTIC ABUNDANCE AND ASSOCIATED MICROBIOMES WITH WATERSHED LAND USE
Microplastic particles (< 5mm) have been identified as contaminants in aquatic ecosystems worldwide. Some of the highest concentrations of microplastic in aquatic habitats have been found in urban rivers downstream from wastewater treatment plants, suggesting domestic wastewater as a major source of microplastic to the environment. Within aquatic ecosystems microplastic supports dense microbial biofilms, and microplastic microbiomes in urban rivers include high abundances of potentially pathogenic bacterial taxa. The presence of pathogens on microplastic in urban rivers further supports wastewater as a route of microplastic entry to the environment and raises concerns related to human health and pathogen transport. Questions remain about variations in microplastic abundance and microbiome composition across different watershed land use types. To address this knowledge gap, we sampled surface water from 8 major Lake Michigan tributaries that varied in watershed land use. Urban and agricultural land-use were positively related to water column microplastic concentrations across all sites, and watershed forest coverage showed a negative relationship. Ongoing work is using high-throughput sequencing of 16S rRNA amplicons to assess variations in microplastic microbiome composition across these land use types.
Paul Risteca (Primary Presenter/Author), Dept. of Biology, Loyola University Chicago, pristeca@luc.edu;
Kelli Rogers (Co-Presenter/Co-Author), Loyola University Chicago, krogers5@luc.edu;
Rachel McNeish (Co-Presenter/Co-Author), California State University Bakersfield, rachel.e.mcneish@gmail.com;
Lisa Kim (Co-Presenter/Co-Author), Loyola University Chicago, lisahaneulkim@gmail.com;
Timothy Hoellein (Co-Presenter/Co-Author), Loyola University Chicago, thoellein@luc.edu;
Dr. Hoellein is a freshwater ecologist at Loyola University Chicago. His research interests are focused on ecosystem processes and biogeochemistry. His research lab explores these areas in associate with the movement and biological transformation of elements, energy, and pollution in aquatic ecosystems.
John Kelly (Co-Presenter/Co-Author), Loyola University Chicago, Jkelly7@luc.edu;