Ubiquity of Microplastic Pollution in Canada

Abstract

My CHEM/EASC 498 research projects investigate microplastic contamination in both the water column of the North Saskatchewan River (NSR) and Arctic sediments of Frobisher Bay. This research shows that microplastic contamination is everywhere from densely populated urban centers such as Edmonton to the highly secluded and sparsely populated Arctic archipelago. The effects of such contaminants are yet to be fully understood however microplastics have been observed to be ingested by organisms and is unable to be metabolised. This will lead to bioaccumulation and may interrupt food webs having greater effects at higher trophic levels. This data are the initial measurements for microplastic pollution in both the NSR and Arctic sediments of Frobisher Bay in a rapidly growing and highly imperative field of research.

Discipline: Earth and Planetary Sciences

Faculty Mentor: Dr. Matthew Ross