Microplastics Accumulation in Tributary, Beach and Lake Bottom Sediments of Lake Ontario, North America
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Western University Scholarship@Western Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository 7-14-2016 12:00 AM Anthropogenic particles in natural sediment sinks: Microplastics accumulation in tributary, beach and lake bottom sediments of Lake Ontario, North America Anika M. Ballent The University of Western Ontario Supervisor Dr. Patricia Corcoran The University of Western Ontario Graduate Program in Geology A thesis submitted in partial fulfillment of the equirr ements for the degree in Master of Science © Anika M. Ballent 2016 Follow this and additional works at: https://ir.lib.uwo.ca/etd Part of the Environmental Monitoring Commons Recommended Citation Ballent, Anika M., "Anthropogenic particles in natural sediment sinks: Microplastics accumulation in tributary, beach and lake bottom sediments of Lake Ontario, North America" (2016). Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository. 3941. https://ir.lib.uwo.ca/etd/3941 This Dissertation/Thesis is brought to you for free and open access by Scholarship@Western. It has been accepted for inclusion in Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository by an authorized administrator of Scholarship@Western. For more information, please contact [email protected]. i Abstract Surface waters of the Great Lakes are known to be contaminated with microplastics, however, microplastics in the sediments of the region are poorly documented. This study provides a baseline of micro- and macro-plastics contamination in nearshore, tributary and beach sediments of Lake Ontario and the upper St. Lawrence River. Microplastics were quantified and characterized by morphology and composition using visual identification and Raman spectroscopy. Microplastics are most concentrated in nearshore sediments in the vicinity of urban and industrial regions. Concentrations in Humber Bay and Toronto Harbour consistently measured > 500 particles per kg dry sediment, and maximum concentrations of ~28,000 particles per kg dry sediment were quantified at Etobicoke Creek. Sourced from consumer and industrial activity, abundant plastics in Lake Ontario coastal environments are unnatural persistent contaminants warranting urgent action for the protection of benthic fauna and ecosystem health. Keywords Plastics, microplastics, Lake Ontario, sediments, riparian, Toronto, Humber Bay, Hamilton Harbour, Raman spectroscopy, ArcGIS, polyethylene ii Acknowledgments This work was funded under the Great Lakes Strategy / Canada-Ontario Agreement with Respect to the Great Lakes program (Project ID # 2206), and several samples were provided by the Ontario Ministry of the Environment and Climate Change. I would like to thank my supervisor, Dr. Patricia Corcoran for her guidance and for making me feel at home here in London. I extend my gratitude to Dr. Odile Madden at the Smithsonian Institution Museum Conservation Institute for the opportunity to use the Raman spectroscopy research facilities and for her superb guidance and instruction. I thank Dr. Fred Longstaffe and Paul Helm for their continual guidance, encouragement, advice, support and assistance with fieldwork. I thank Trevor Ceccanese for his assistance in the field and laboratory. Finally, I would like to thank my family and friends for their unwavering commitment to helping me pursue my dreams. Relationship to published works The following published manuscripts and abstracts, as well as posters and oral presentations contain text, data and figures that have also been used in this manuscript. The texts in this manuscript have been revised and modified, however some passages in the following documents have been included here verbatim. Ballent, A. Corcoran, P., Madden, O., Helm, P., Longstaffe, F. (2016). Sources and sinks of microplastics in Canadian Lake Ontario nearshore, tributary and beach sediments. Marine Pollution Bulletin, http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.marpolbul.2016.06.037, in press. Ballent, A., Corcoran, P., Helm, P., Longstaffe, F., Madden, O. (2016). Microplastics in sediment of Lake Ontario, Canada: Potential sources and sinks. 59th Annual Conference on Great Lakes Research, Guelph, Ontario, June 2016. Abstract, Oral Presentation. iii Ballent, A., Corcoran, P., Helm, P., Marvin, C.: Microplastics in sediment of Lake Ontario, Canada: Potential sources and sinks. Envirocon 2016, University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, March 2016. Oral Presentation. Ballent, A., Corcoran, P., Helm, P., Marvin, C., Longstaffe, F. (2016). Abundance, Sources and Sinks of Microplastic in Lake Ontario Sediments, Canada. Fallona Family Interdisciplinary Showcase, December 2016. Poster. Ballent, A., Corcoran, P., Helm, P.: Microplastic Accumulation in Beach and Lake Bottom Sediments of Lake Ontario, North America. 58th Annual Conference on Great Lakes Research, Burlington, Vermont, May 2015. Abstract, Oral Presentation. Ballent, A., Ceccanese, T., Corcoran, P., Longstaffe, F., Helm, P., Marvin, C.: Microplastics in Lake Ontario Sediments. Invited talk given at Lake Ontario Evenings: Microplastics Edition in Toronto, Ontario. All of the above works were written or presented by the first author, A. Ballent, who also conducted the majority of field work, laboratory analysis and data analysis. P. Corcoran supervised this study and contributed additionally by planning the research, conducting field work, revising texts, and securing funding for this work. P. Helm supplied samples, assisted with field work, provided the gravity corer and revised texts. F. Longstaffe assisted with field work and revising texts. C. Marvin provided samples. O. Madden assisted with laboratory analysis and revised texts. T. Ceccanese assisted with field work and laboratory analysis. iv Table of Contents Abstract ................................................................................................................................ i Keywords ............................................................................................................................. i Acknowledgments............................................................................................................... ii Relationship to published works ......................................................................................... ii Table of Contents ............................................................................................................... iv List of Tables ................................................................................................................... viii List of Figures .................................................................................................................. viii List of Appendices ............................................................................................................. xi Chapter 1 ............................................................................................................................. 1 1 Introduction .................................................................................................................... 1 1.1 The current state of microplastics research ............................................................. 1 1.2 Study objectives ...................................................................................................... 4 Chapter 2 ............................................................................................................................. 6 2 Context ........................................................................................................................... 6 2.1 Plastic: a modern material ....................................................................................... 6 2.2 Trends in plastics manufacturing – globally and in Canada ................................... 8 2.3 Plastics degradation .............................................................................................. 10 2.4 Plastics in the environment ................................................................................... 12 2.4.1 Sources of microplastics debris ................................................................ 12 2.4.2 Microplastic debris in freshwater systems ................................................ 13 2.4.3 Microplastic debris in sediments .............................................................. 16 v 2.4.4 Microplastic debris studies in the Great Lakes ......................................... 18 2.4.5 Ecological implications of microplastics contamination .......................... 21 2.5 Methodologies commonly used in studies of microplastics in sediments ............ 25 2.5.1 Collection methods ................................................................................... 25 2.5.2 Sample processing methods ...................................................................... 26 2.5.3 Quantification methods ............................................................................. 27 2.5.4 Compositional analysis methods............................................................... 27 Chapter 3 ........................................................................................................................... 33 3 Regional setting ............................................................................................................ 33 3.1 Lake Ontario and the St. Lawrence River ............................................................. 33 3.1.1 Geology of the Lake Ontario region ......................................................... 34 3.1.2 Hydrology of Lake Ontario and the St. Lawrence River .........................