Microplastic accumulation in stormwater pond sediment

Microplastics are an emerging pollutant which are a threat to aquatic ecosystems because of their resistance to degradation and their potential to carry and release contaminants. In urban watersheds, stormwater runoff is a major carrier of microplastics to downstream water bodies, which often drains into green infrastructure such as stormwater ponds (SWPs). The existing evidence indicates that stormwater ponds (SWPs) may be very effective at reducing the export loads of microplastics from urban areas. To investigate the controls on microplastic accumulation in stormwater pond sediment, we collected sediment samples from five SWPs with different LULC (commercial, industrial, and residential) in the City of Kitchener, Ontario. Microplastics in the sediment samples were extracted via preliminary separation, density separation and Fenton oxidation. The microplastic composition was then characterized using laser direct infrared imaging spectroscopy. Results and findings from the analysis of this data are reported in Controls on microplastic accumulation in stormwater pond sediment (pending submission, DOI: TBD).