This study aims to determine if stormwater outfalls are a major source of microplastic pollution in the IRL, as well as how the introduction and dispersal of microplastic pollution interacts with nutrient (nitrogen and phosphorous) availability. It is unclear where these particles originate from, and how they are interacting with nutrients in the water and sediment. A previous study done by a University of Central Florida undergraduate found an average of 23.1 plastic pieces per liter of water in the Indian River Lagoon (IRL), as compared to a similar study on a highly industrialized Chinese estuary, which found a maximum of 13 pieces per liter (4). Persistent organic pollutants (POPs) readily accumulate on microplastics, which can then be released into organisms upon ingestion or deposited into the surrounding environment (3). Ingestion has been documented in organisms as large as birds and humans, and as small as zooplankton (2). This thriving industry has led to widespread microplastic pollution in recent decades, and due to their size, microplastics are highly accessible to a wide range of biota. Annual global plastic production (393 million tons in 2016) will soon outweigh human biomass (1). Microplastic research investigates plastic pollution within the size range of 5mm – 1µm, which may be composed of varying polymers and designs. Investigating Stormwater as a Potential Source of Nutrients and Microplastics in the Indian River Lagoon
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