Nanna Brande-Lavridsen from the University of Tennessee presented information on microplastics in freshwater environments. The document discussed sources of microplastics, their accumulation in aquatic wildlife, and potential biological effects. While studies show microplastics are ubiquitous in waterways and ingested by species, more research is needed on levels in freshwater, biological impacts, and potential risks to inform regulation. The EPA has authority over plastic debris under acts like the Clean Water Act but requires further data to conduct risk assessments on microplastics in freshwater ecosystems.
• About 8.3 billion tonnes of plastic has been produced since the 1950s – the weight of roughly a billion elephants or 47 million blue whales.
• Only about 9% of this plastic has been recycled, 12% has been burned and the remaining 79% has ended up in landfills or the environment.
• Up to 12.7 million tonnes of plastic enters the oceans every year
*
Lab #11 –
Ecotoxicology
Prelab Discussion
Today’s Lab ObjectivesTo apply your knowledge of ecosystems, population ecology, and ecotoxicology to a case study of the impact of pollution on Daphnia populations and what that might indicate for ecosystems as a whole.
To learn more about the sources and impacts of pollutants on the dynamics of aquatic ecosystems, particularly the impacts of organic pollution, acid pollution, and salinity.
To learn more about the use of indicator species and to understand why Daphnia are used as such a species.
Understand what lethal dose/concentration means and how it is specific for each pollutant type.
To practice using credible sources on (at least 2 peer-reviewed) to support your arguments.
Synthesize this information into a final lab report.
In Today’s Lab
Review of Ecosystem BasicsEcosystem: All of the interacting organisms (populations) and abiotic factors that occur in a particular place at a given time
Components of an Ecosystem:
Abiotic - nonliving components e.g. Sunlight, temperature, precipitation, soil/water chemistry
Biotic - all the living things that affect an organism in its environment e.g. Organisms
Example of an Ecosystem
*
Looking at the image below…
how would you define pollution?
*
What is pollution?Definition – unnatural by-products of human activities accumulating in the environment at levels that are harmful to living organism.
Sources of pollution vary
Some specific types of pollution:AcidOrganic ThermalPharmaceuticalSalinity
Acid PollutionDefinition:
sulfur and nitrogen oxides react with air in the atmosphere (and potentially the terrestrially via run-off) to form sulfuric and nitric acids which will reenter the environment via rain.
Acid pollution is extremely detrimental to all organisms (auto- or heterotrophic) in the environment
Acid Rain is a prime example of Acid Pollution.Rainwater with a pH <5.6 = acidic.Side effect of air pollution from industry.
Basic Example of the
Creation of Acid Pollution
*
Organic PollutionDefinition:
compounds that are resistant to environmental degradation
Examples: Pesticides, fertilizers, detergents, sewage, farm run-off
Organic pollutants canBe persistent in the environment for a long period of timeThey accumulate in human/animal tissues and magnify in food chains.a.k.a. They have significant impacts on human health and the environment as a whole.Are capable of long-range transportCan provide large quantities of of organic compounds and limiting nutrients, which act as substrates (food) for microorganisms, are released into water sources (algal blooms)
Examples of Organic Pollution
*
EutrophicationThe process by which a body of water acquires a high concentration of nutrients, especially phosphates and nitrates.
These typically promote excessive growth of algae.Algae die, decompose, increase organic material…therefore resulting in oxygen depletion.
The Process of Eutrophication
Bioaccumulati ...
• About 8.3 billion tonnes of plastic has been produced since the 1950s – the weight of roughly a billion elephants or 47 million blue whales.
• Only about 9% of this plastic has been recycled, 12% has been burned and the remaining 79% has ended up in landfills or the environment.
• Up to 12.7 million tonnes of plastic enters the oceans every year
*
Lab #11 –
Ecotoxicology
Prelab Discussion
Today’s Lab ObjectivesTo apply your knowledge of ecosystems, population ecology, and ecotoxicology to a case study of the impact of pollution on Daphnia populations and what that might indicate for ecosystems as a whole.
To learn more about the sources and impacts of pollutants on the dynamics of aquatic ecosystems, particularly the impacts of organic pollution, acid pollution, and salinity.
To learn more about the use of indicator species and to understand why Daphnia are used as such a species.
Understand what lethal dose/concentration means and how it is specific for each pollutant type.
To practice using credible sources on (at least 2 peer-reviewed) to support your arguments.
Synthesize this information into a final lab report.
In Today’s Lab
Review of Ecosystem BasicsEcosystem: All of the interacting organisms (populations) and abiotic factors that occur in a particular place at a given time
Components of an Ecosystem:
Abiotic - nonliving components e.g. Sunlight, temperature, precipitation, soil/water chemistry
Biotic - all the living things that affect an organism in its environment e.g. Organisms
Example of an Ecosystem
*
Looking at the image below…
how would you define pollution?
*
What is pollution?Definition – unnatural by-products of human activities accumulating in the environment at levels that are harmful to living organism.
Sources of pollution vary
Some specific types of pollution:AcidOrganic ThermalPharmaceuticalSalinity
Acid PollutionDefinition:
sulfur and nitrogen oxides react with air in the atmosphere (and potentially the terrestrially via run-off) to form sulfuric and nitric acids which will reenter the environment via rain.
Acid pollution is extremely detrimental to all organisms (auto- or heterotrophic) in the environment
Acid Rain is a prime example of Acid Pollution.Rainwater with a pH <5.6 = acidic.Side effect of air pollution from industry.
Basic Example of the
Creation of Acid Pollution
*
Organic PollutionDefinition:
compounds that are resistant to environmental degradation
Examples: Pesticides, fertilizers, detergents, sewage, farm run-off
Organic pollutants canBe persistent in the environment for a long period of timeThey accumulate in human/animal tissues and magnify in food chains.a.k.a. They have significant impacts on human health and the environment as a whole.Are capable of long-range transportCan provide large quantities of of organic compounds and limiting nutrients, which act as substrates (food) for microorganisms, are released into water sources (algal blooms)
Examples of Organic Pollution
*
EutrophicationThe process by which a body of water acquires a high concentration of nutrients, especially phosphates and nitrates.
These typically promote excessive growth of algae.Algae die, decompose, increase organic material…therefore resulting in oxygen depletion.
The Process of Eutrophication
Bioaccumulati ...
Microplastics, small pieces of plastic, less than 5 mm (0.2 inches) in length, that occur in the environment as a consequence of plastic pollution. Microplastics are present in a variety of products, from cosmetics to synthetic clothing to plastic bags and bottles. Many of these products readily enter the environment in wastes.
Prof Graham Mills - The Fate of Pharmaceutical Residues in the Aquatic Enviro...onthewight
Professor Graham Mills presented his talk "The Fate of Pharmaceutical Residues in the Aquatic Environment"
A full background of what contaminates water, from Pharmacology and Agriculture. People passing medicines they have taken or disposing of them by throwing them down the toilet are causing major changes to fish and other water dwelling creatures.
- October 2014 - Cafe Scientifique Isle of Wight
The USEPA defines biodegradation as a process by which microbial organisms transform or alter (through metabolic or enzymatic action) the structure of chemicals introduced into the environment.
According to the definition by the International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry, the term biodegradation is “Breakdown of a substance catalyzed by enzymes in vitro or in vivo.
The term is often used in relation to ecology, waste management, biomedicine, and the natural environment (bioremediation) and is now commonly associated with environmentally friendly products that are capable of decomposing back into natural elements.
Biodegradable matter is generally organic material such as plant and animal matter and other substances originating from living organisms, or artificial materials that are similar enough to plant and animal matter to be put to use by microorganisms.
Refilwe Mofokeng, Gemma Gerber, Mathew Coote, Sipho Mkhize, Deborah Robertson-Andersson, Gan Moodley. Presented at the Symposium of Contemporary Conservation Practice 2015.
Microplastics in marine organisms in KZN: A new conservation threat?MACE Lab
Refilwe Mofokeng, Gemma Gerber, Mathew Coote, Sipho Mkhize, Thembani Mkhize, Deborah Robertson-Andersson, Gan Moodley. Presented at the Symposium of Contemporary Conservation Practice 2015.
Lecture module on Microplastic Pollution (Microplastic, its types, classification, sources, degradation (biotic & abiotic), distribution and fate of microplastics in terrestrial, marine, freshwater, snow environment and atmosphere; Sampling of Microplastic and Quantification and identification of microplastics - FTIR and Raman spectroscopy
Microplastics, small pieces of plastic, less than 5 mm (0.2 inches) in length, that occur in the environment as a consequence of plastic pollution. Microplastics are present in a variety of products, from cosmetics to synthetic clothing to plastic bags and bottles. Many of these products readily enter the environment in wastes.
Prof Graham Mills - The Fate of Pharmaceutical Residues in the Aquatic Enviro...onthewight
Professor Graham Mills presented his talk "The Fate of Pharmaceutical Residues in the Aquatic Environment"
A full background of what contaminates water, from Pharmacology and Agriculture. People passing medicines they have taken or disposing of them by throwing them down the toilet are causing major changes to fish and other water dwelling creatures.
- October 2014 - Cafe Scientifique Isle of Wight
The USEPA defines biodegradation as a process by which microbial organisms transform or alter (through metabolic or enzymatic action) the structure of chemicals introduced into the environment.
According to the definition by the International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry, the term biodegradation is “Breakdown of a substance catalyzed by enzymes in vitro or in vivo.
The term is often used in relation to ecology, waste management, biomedicine, and the natural environment (bioremediation) and is now commonly associated with environmentally friendly products that are capable of decomposing back into natural elements.
Biodegradable matter is generally organic material such as plant and animal matter and other substances originating from living organisms, or artificial materials that are similar enough to plant and animal matter to be put to use by microorganisms.
Refilwe Mofokeng, Gemma Gerber, Mathew Coote, Sipho Mkhize, Deborah Robertson-Andersson, Gan Moodley. Presented at the Symposium of Contemporary Conservation Practice 2015.
Microplastics in marine organisms in KZN: A new conservation threat?MACE Lab
Refilwe Mofokeng, Gemma Gerber, Mathew Coote, Sipho Mkhize, Thembani Mkhize, Deborah Robertson-Andersson, Gan Moodley. Presented at the Symposium of Contemporary Conservation Practice 2015.
Lecture module on Microplastic Pollution (Microplastic, its types, classification, sources, degradation (biotic & abiotic), distribution and fate of microplastics in terrestrial, marine, freshwater, snow environment and atmosphere; Sampling of Microplastic and Quantification and identification of microplastics - FTIR and Raman spectroscopy
"Understanding the Carbon Cycle: Processes, Human Impacts, and Strategies for...MMariSelvam4
The carbon cycle is a critical component of Earth's environmental system, governing the movement and transformation of carbon through various reservoirs, including the atmosphere, oceans, soil, and living organisms. This complex cycle involves several key processes such as photosynthesis, respiration, decomposition, and carbon sequestration, each contributing to the regulation of carbon levels on the planet.
Human activities, particularly fossil fuel combustion and deforestation, have significantly altered the natural carbon cycle, leading to increased atmospheric carbon dioxide concentrations and driving climate change. Understanding the intricacies of the carbon cycle is essential for assessing the impacts of these changes and developing effective mitigation strategies.
By studying the carbon cycle, scientists can identify carbon sources and sinks, measure carbon fluxes, and predict future trends. This knowledge is crucial for crafting policies aimed at reducing carbon emissions, enhancing carbon storage, and promoting sustainable practices. The carbon cycle's interplay with climate systems, ecosystems, and human activities underscores its importance in maintaining a stable and healthy planet.
In-depth exploration of the carbon cycle reveals the delicate balance required to sustain life and the urgent need to address anthropogenic influences. Through research, education, and policy, we can work towards restoring equilibrium in the carbon cycle and ensuring a sustainable future for generations to come.
Diabetes is a rapidly and serious health problem in Pakistan. This chronic condition is associated with serious long-term complications, including higher risk of heart disease and stroke. Aggressive treatment of hypertension and hyperlipideamia can result in a substantial reduction in cardiovascular events in patients with diabetes 1. Consequently pharmacist-led diabetes cardiovascular risk (DCVR) clinics have been established in both primary and secondary care sites in NHS Lothian during the past five years. An audit of the pharmaceutical care delivery at the clinics was conducted in order to evaluate practice and to standardize the pharmacists’ documentation of outcomes. Pharmaceutical care issues (PCI) and patient details were collected both prospectively and retrospectively from three DCVR clinics. The PCI`s were categorized according to a triangularised system consisting of multiple categories. These were ‘checks’, ‘changes’ (‘change in drug therapy process’ and ‘change in drug therapy’), ‘drug therapy problems’ and ‘quality assurance descriptors’ (‘timer perspective’ and ‘degree of change’). A verified medication assessment tool (MAT) for patients with chronic cardiovascular disease was applied to the patients from one of the clinics. The tool was used to quantify PCI`s and pharmacist actions that were centered on implementing or enforcing clinical guideline standards. A database was developed to be used as an assessment tool and to standardize the documentation of achievement of outcomes. Feedback on the audit of the pharmaceutical care delivery and the database was received from the DCVR clinic pharmacist at a focus group meeting.
WRI’s brand new “Food Service Playbook for Promoting Sustainable Food Choices” gives food service operators the very latest strategies for creating dining environments that empower consumers to choose sustainable, plant-rich dishes. This research builds off our first guide for food service, now with industry experience and insights from nearly 350 academic trials.
UNDERSTANDING WHAT GREEN WASHING IS!.pdfJulietMogola
Many companies today use green washing to lure the public into thinking they are conserving the environment but in real sense they are doing more harm. There have been such several cases from very big companies here in Kenya and also globally. This ranges from various sectors from manufacturing and goes to consumer products. Educating people on greenwashing will enable people to make better choices based on their analysis and not on what they see on marketing sites.
Natural farming @ Dr. Siddhartha S. Jena.pptxsidjena70
A brief about organic farming/ Natural farming/ Zero budget natural farming/ Subash Palekar Natural farming which keeps us and environment safe and healthy. Next gen Agricultural practices of chemical free farming.
Micro RNA genes and their likely influence in rice (Oryza sativa L.) dynamic ...Open Access Research Paper
Micro RNAs (miRNAs) are small non-coding RNAs molecules having approximately 18-25 nucleotides, they are present in both plants and animals genomes. MiRNAs have diverse spatial expression patterns and regulate various developmental metabolisms, stress responses and other physiological processes. The dynamic gene expression playing major roles in phenotypic differences in organisms are believed to be controlled by miRNAs. Mutations in regions of regulatory factors, such as miRNA genes or transcription factors (TF) necessitated by dynamic environmental factors or pathogen infections, have tremendous effects on structure and expression of genes. The resultant novel gene products presents potential explanations for constant evolving desirable traits that have long been bred using conventional means, biotechnology or genetic engineering. Rice grain quality, yield, disease tolerance, climate-resilience and palatability properties are not exceptional to miRN Asmutations effects. There are new insights courtesy of high-throughput sequencing and improved proteomic techniques that organisms’ complexity and adaptations are highly contributed by miRNAs containing regulatory networks. This article aims to expound on how rice miRNAs could be driving evolution of traits and highlight the latest miRNA research progress. Moreover, the review accentuates miRNAs grey areas to be addressed and gives recommendations for further studies.
1. Microplastics in the Freshwater
Environment
Nanna Brande-Lavridsen
University of Tennessee
Dept. of Forestry, Wildlife and Fisheries/Center for Environmental Biotechnology
2. Hi, I’m Nanna
• Toothpaste may contain 0.1 - 5 % microbeads (PE).
• Americans use 2,500,000 plastic bottles every hour/ Only 14% of are
recycled.
• In one week we go through 10 billion plastic bags worldwide/ The
average American family takes home almost 1,500 bags a year.
• In a lifetime the average American will personally throw away 600
times his/her bodyweight of plastic.
• Exfoliating washes may contain 0.4-10.5 % microbeads (PE).
• 93% of Americans test positive for the presence of BPA in their bodies.
Approx. 300 million tons of plastic is manufactured every year → approx.
7000 million tons since 1950 → 7 km3 → 7 million km2 (if 1 mm thick) → USA is
7.7 million km2
3. Plastic fantastic
Material: Degradation rate:
Plastic beverage holder 400 years
Plastic bag Up to 1000 years
Plastic bottle 100-1000 years
Synthetic fabric 500 years
Foam cup 50 years
Fishing line 600 years
Polystyrene case 100 – 1000 years
4. Microplastics in the Freshwater Ecosystem:
What we know and what we need to know
What we know:
• Accumulation of plastics in the aquatic environment
• Microplastics (< 5 mm)
• Microplastics in the food web
• Many studies on marine plastics
What we need to know:
• Very few studies of plastics in freshwater environment
• Very few studies on biological effect
• How to measure concentrations in the environment/animals
• Should we be concerned and regulate ?
5. What are Microplastics?
Classification:
• Size
Large : 1 – 5 mm, Small: 1 µm – 1 mm
• Origin
Primary (produced as such) vs. secondary (fragmented macroplastic)
• Shape and color
Irregular fragments (angular), pellets (cylinders, disks, spherules), filaments (fibers) or granules
(rounded)
• Polymer type
Polyethylene (HD/LD-PE), polyethylene terephthalate (PET), polypropylene (PP), polystyrene
(PS), polyvinyl chloride (PVC) and polyamide fibers (nylon) ……..
6. Where does Microplastics come from ?
Primary:
• Resin pellets
• Synthetic fibers
• Abrasion and exfoliating beads
• Paints
• Beads used in furniture, insulation….
• Medical products
• Tire recycling
Secondary:
Fragments of larger plastic items
+ =
“Microbead-free
Waters act” of 2015
signed by Obama
banning micro-beads
in the US from 2017.
7. And where does it all end up ?
Plastic articles,
material and coatings
Formation of
secondary
microplastics
Fragmentation, weathering, abrasion etc
Solid waste
Sedimentation
Soil Urban run-off
Incineration
Agricultural soil
Incineration
Sludge
WWTP
Sewage
Bypassing STP
Surface water
Solid waste
Release
Danish Environmental Protection Agency, Project 1793
10. Presence of Microplastics in the Freshwater
Ecosystem
From Eerkes-Medrano et al., Water research 75: 63-82, 2015 and own survey
Continent Water body Authors What was
sampled
Size Max. abundance/
mean abundance
North America St. Lawrence river,
Canada/USA
Castaneda et al.,
2014
Sediment > 500 µm ?
13,759 – 136,926 items/m2
Lake Superior, Huron
and Erie, Canada/USA
Eriksen et al., 2013 Surface water > 355 µm 463,423 items/km2
43,157 items/km2
North Shore Channel of
Chicago, USA
McCormick et al.,
2014
Surface water 0.3-5 mm 17.93 items/m3
Higher count downstream WWTP
than upstream.
Los Angeles River, San
Gabriel River, Coyote
Creek, USA
Moore et al.,
2011
Water column 1-4.75 mm Coyote: 4999 items/m3
San Gabriel: 51,603 items/m3
L A river: 1,146,418 items/m3
Chesapeake Bay 4
estuarine rivers, USA
Yonkos et al., 2014 Surface water 0.3 – 5 mm 297,927 items/km2
(245.7 g/ km2)
Lake Huron,
Canada/USA
Zbyszewski and
Corcoran, 2011
Sediment < 5 mm, > 5
mm, polys.
3209 items
Lake Erie and St. Clair,
Canada/USA
Zbyszewski et al.,
2014
Sediment < 2 cm Erie: 1576 items
St. Clair: 817 items
Tennessee River, USA
2016
Surface water 153 µm-5 mm ?
Higher count downstream WWTP
than pristine area.
Asia Lake Hovsgol,
Mongolia
Free et al., 2014 Surface water 355 µm -4.74
mm
44,435 items/km2
20,264 items/km2
Europe River Seine, France Dris et al., 2015 Surface water ? 108 items/m3
Lake Geneva,
France/Switzerland
Faure et al., 2012 Sediment
Surface water
< 2mm/<
5mm
< , > 5 mm
9 items/sample
48,146 items/ km2
Lake Garda,
Italy
Imhof et al., 2013 Sediment 9 µm-5 mm 1108 items/m2
?
Rhine river, Germany Klein et al., 2015 Sediment < 5 mm 3763 items/kg
Danube river, Austria Lechner et al., 2014 Surface water < 2–20 mm 141,647 items/1000 m3
317 items/1000 m3
Tamar estuary,
UK
Sadri and Thompson,
2014
Surface water < 2– 5 mm, >
5mm
204 items
0.028 items/m3
Elbe, Mosel, Neckar
and Rhine rivers,
Germany
Wagner et al., 2014 Sediment < 5 mm 64 items/kg
11. And that is not all……..
• Microplastics can potentially leach toxic
chemicals, including endocrine
disruption chemicals, such as bisphenol
A and phthalates.
• Microplastics can adsorb persistent
organic pollution compounds, metals
and environmental endocrine disruptors.
E.g.. Teuten et al., 2009, Phil. Trans. R. Soc. B 364:2027-2045
Sleight et al, 2016, in review
13. Extraction of Microplastics
Tissue
• Acid
• Base
• Enzyme
ID by:
• Visual examination
by microscope.
• Spectrometric methods like
Fourier Transform Infrared
Spectroscopy or Raman
microspectroscopy.
Hindalgo-Ruz et al., Env. Sci. Technol. 46:3060-3075, 2012
14. Impact of Microplastics to Freshwater Species
MP’s are transferred to animals through ingestion
• Sanchez et al, 2014: 12 % of Wild gudgeon (Gobio gobio)
caught in French streams contain MP’s (Environ. Res. 128:98-100)
• Peters et al, 2016: Approx. 45 % of Sunfish (Lepomis
macrochirus and Lepomis megalotis) from the Brazos river
basin, TX, contained microplastics (Environ. Pollut. 210: 380-387)
Ingestion of microplastics
with/without associated
co-contaminants
• Behavioral effects
• Morphological effects
• Physiological effects
• Life cycle effects
15. Effects of Ingestion of Microplastics
Questions:
Do organisms ingest MPs?
Are ingested MPs absorbed across epithelia?
How long do MPs reside within GI tract before egestion?
Shore crab Carcinus maenas
Approach:
• Feed pellets: fish paste and gelatine (pellet weight 0.25 g)
• Particles counted and specific amount added to each pellet
• Sub-sample of pellets examined to verify numbers of particles/pellet
• Treatments:
• Control without particles
• Large sand (LS) 1000-1230 µm
• Large plastic (LP) polyethylene microspheres 850-1000 µm
• Small plastic (SP) polyethylene microspheres 47-53 µm
• Procedure
• Crabs fed particle-free food for > 5 days
• Crabs starved for 3 days before being fed a single treatment pellet
• After feed pellet administered, control pellet given every 24 hours
• Crab washed, faeces and water collected, filtered, particles counted/time Joseph Hatfield
Heriot-Watt University, Edinburgh, Scotland, UK
16. • Crabs did ingest these MPs
• These MPs not appreciably absorbed
• Gut retention varied by particle type
• Essentially all MPs recovered upon egestion
Effects of Ingestion of Microplastics
17. Effects of Ingestion of Microplastics in Fish
• Lu et al., 2016: Small MP’s accumulate in Zebrafish gills,
liver and gut and cause inflammation and lipid
accumulation in fish liver (Environ. Sci. Tech. 50: 4054-4060)
• Avio et al., 2015: MP’s accumulate in stomach and liver in
Mullet (Mar. Environ. Reserch 111:18-26)
Are ingested MPs absorbed across epithelia?
?
Avio et al., 2015
18. Effects of ingestion of Microplastics in Fish
Ted Henry
Rochman et al, 2013:
Ingested MP’s transfers hazardous chemicals to fish and
induces hepatic stress or endocrine disruption
(Sci. Rep 3:3263, Sci. Tot. Environ. 493: 656-661).
Sleight et al, 2016:
Assessed the bioavailability of absorbed Phenanthrene
and 17α-Ethinylestradiol to zebrafish using gene
expression analysis.
The toxicant sorption to the MPs was not consistent with
toxicant physicochemistry
Transport of the MPs/co-contaminants to bottom did not
increase toxicant bioavailability.
(not yet published)
Microplastic absorb environmental chemicals and
may therefore act as vectors transferring
environmental contaminants from water to biota.
19. Effects of Ingestion of Microplastics/Co-
contaminants
+
Expose for 96 hours
(from 72 hpf – 168 hpf)
Phe
Phe
Phe
Phe
or
EE2
EE2
EE2
EE2
Gene expression of Cyp 1A (cytochrome P450-dependent
monooxygenase enzymes) and Vtg (Vitellogenin)
Sleight et al, 2016 (not yet published)
Phenanthrene 17α-Ethinylestradiol
0.5 mg/LPhe and 1 µg/L EE2
20. Effects of Ingestion of Microplastics/Co-
contaminants
• Compared to positive controls (i.e., co-contaminant
exposures without MPs) expression of cyp1A and vtg
were reduced when MPs were present in the water
column indicating reduced co-contaminant
bioavailability consistent with co-contaminant sorption
to MPs;
• The presence of MPs reduced bioavailability of Phe by
33% whereas with EE2 bioavailability was reduced by
up to 48% .
Sleight et al, 2016 (not yet published)
21. Impact of Microplastics to Freshwater species
McCormick et al, 2014, Environ. Sci. Technol. 48: 11863-11871
Nonmetric multidimensional scaling (nMDS)
ordination of 16S sequencing data (Bray−Curtis
dissimilarity) comparing assemblages of bacteria
collected in the North Shore Channel.
MP may serve as a vector for pathogens or may change
the gut microbiome of fish when ingested ?
25. Microplastics in Shad
Threadfin shad (Dorosoma petenense)
Concord wastewater treatment plant
Map of Norris dam or
Telico
University of Tennessee
Along my bike route…
Tellico (control site)
26. Conclusions……
Should we be concerned?
Data on microplastics in freshwater ecosystems is at best fragmentary if
not absent and that hampers a science based environmental risk
assessment.
What we need to know:
• Sources, fate and abundance of plastics in
freshwater environment
• Biological fate and effects of ingested
microplastics in freshwater biota
27. EPA
• Has shown interest in issues relevant to plastic debris as it relates to existing
legislation that regulates hazardous chemicals and substances in the
environment, using the Comprehensive environmental response, compensation,
and liability act (CERCLA), the pollution prevention act and the Clean water act.
• Have a guideline “ Organic chemicals, Plastics and synthetic fibers” Effluent
guideline and standards (40 CFR Part 414)
• Waste Reduction Model (WARM)
• Several projects running
To perform accurate risk assessments more research is needed
