
ISTC Senior Analytical Chemist John W Scott, front left, is joined in the labs at the Illinois Sustainable Technology Center at the University of Illinois Champaign-Urbana by co-author, ISGS researcher Sam Panno, far right, and fellow research team members, back row from left, Walt Kelly, Nancy Holm and Wei Zheng. Their research documents the presence of plastic microfiber contamination in fractured limestone aquifers.
Microplastics contaminate the world’s surface waters, yet scientists have only just begun to explore their presence in groundwater systems. A new study is the first to report microplastics in fractured limestone aquifers – a groundwater source that accounts for 25 percent of the global drinking water supply.
The study identified microplastic fibers, along with a variety of medicines and household contaminants, in two aquifer systems in Illinois. The findings are published in the journal Groundwater.
“Plastic in the environment breaks down into microscopic particles that can end up in the guts and gills of marine life, exposing the animals to chemicals in the plastic,” said John Scott, a researcher at the Illinois Sustainable Technology Center and study co-author. “As the plastics break down, they act like sponges that soak up contaminants and microbes and can ultimately work their way into our food supply.”
Groundwater flows through the cracks and voids in limestone, sometimes carrying sewage and runoff from roads, landfills and agricultural areas into the aquifers below, Scott said.
The researchers collected 17 groundwater samples from wells and springs – 11 from a highly fractured limestone aquifer near the St. Louis metropolitan area and six from an aquifer containing much smaller fractures in rural northwestern Illinois.
All but one of the 17 samples contained microplastic particles, with a maximum concentration of 15.2 particles per liter from a spring in the St. Louis area, the study reports. However, deciphering what that concentration means is a challenge, Scott said. There are no published risk assessment studies or regulations.
The researchers did find, however, that concentrations from their field areas are comparable to those of surface water concentrations found in the rivers and streams in the Chicago area, said Samuel V. Panno, an Illinois State Geological Survey researcher and lead author of the study.
The Latest on: Microplastic contamination
[google_news title=”” keyword=”microplastic contamination” num_posts=”10″ blurb_length=”0″ show_thumb=”left”]
via Google News
The Latest on: Microplastic contamination
- The Guppyfriend washing bag can protect clothes and help reduce pollutionon February 3, 2023 at 6:45 am
It's no secret microplastic pollution is an issue. The Guppyfriend washing bag claims that it can catch some of the microfibers that shed off your clothes, so we tested it and talked to experts to ...
- New fabric coating could reduce microplastic pollution in the washon February 1, 2023 at 3:32 am
Governments around the world have been looking for ways to minimise the pollution that comes from washing synthetic fabrics. One example is washing machine filters, which have emerged as a leading fix ...
- Coating could reduce microplastic sheddingon January 31, 2023 at 1:38 am
TORONTO - Canadian researchers say they have developed a coating which could reduce the amount of microplastic fibres shed when washing synthetic fabrics by more than 90 per cent. The laundering of ...
- New fabric coating could drastically reduce microplastic pollution from washing clotheson January 30, 2023 at 7:00 am
A team of University of Toronto Engineering researchers, led by Professor Kevin Golovin, have designed a solution to reduce the amount of microplastic fibers that are shed when clothes made of ...
- Curious Nature: Your favorite fleece and reducing microplastic pollutionon January 28, 2023 at 10:51 am
Whether you are visiting or living here in Eagle County, it does not take long to understand the need to be prepared outdoors for quick and sometimes extreme changes in the weather. A key ...
- France to probe microplastic pellet pollution on Atlantic beacheson January 27, 2023 at 7:08 am
French prosecutors said on Friday they would investigate the appearance of vast quantities of tiny toxic plastic pellets along the Atlantic coast that endanger marine life and the human food chain.
- France to probe microplastic pollution on beacheson January 27, 2023 at 6:46 am
French prosecutors said on Friday they would investigate the appearance of vast quantities of tiny toxic plastic pellets along the Atlantic coast that endanger marine life and the human food chain.
- This new fabric coating could drastically reduce microplastic pollution from washing clotheson January 26, 2023 at 8:07 am
Professor Kevin Golovin (MIE) and his team of researchers are working on a fabric finish to prevent microplastic fibres from shedding during laundry cycles ...
- Tire Particle Microplastic Pollution Threatens Water Supplieson January 25, 2023 at 4:00 pm
“Pollution,” in an automotive context, is normally associated with the smog-forming emissions from combustion engines that the Environmental Protection Agency terms “criteria emissions.” Another sort ...
- High Levels Of Microplastic Pollution Recorded In Lake Luganoon January 24, 2023 at 11:45 am
Litter is one of the main sources of microplastic pollution in Lake Lugano, the Ticino authorities say. © Keystone - Ats / Ti-press Microplastic ...
via Bing News