Microplastic pollution in surface waters of urban watersheds in Central Texas, USA : a comparison above and below treated wastewater effluents.
| dc.contributor.advisor | Bratton, Susan. | |
| dc.creator | Stovall, Jasmine K., 1992- | |
| dc.creator.orcid | 0000-0002-1525-8923 | |
| dc.date.accessioned | 2019-01-25T13:50:10Z | |
| dc.date.available | 2019-01-25T13:50:10Z | |
| dc.date.created | 2018-12 | |
| dc.date.issued | 2018-11-20 | |
| dc.date.submitted | December 2018 | |
| dc.date.updated | 2019-01-25T13:50:11Z | |
| dc.description.abstract | Microplastics are polymer-based particles ranging in size from 50 µm to 5 mm. The behavior of microplastics within freshwater systems remains understudied. The purposes of this study are to assess microplastic levels in spring-fed and runoff-fed freshwater systems in small, urban watersheds above and below local point-source wastewater effluents, to investigate patterns in microplastic spatial distribution and to evaluate the influence that seasonality and land use may have on microplastic frequency and form. A total of 779 surface water samples of 800-mL were collected across five study locales and analyzed via visual inspection. In total, 1,198 microplastics were found, inclusive of fibers (95.0%) and fragments (5.0%). Approximately 57% of all samples were contaminated with microplastics, on average, ranging from 33.3%-80% per study locale. Overall, significant differences between sample site and sampling interval suggest that seasonality and land use influence microplastic frequency within a system, while spatial locale influences particle color and form. | |
| dc.format.mimetype | application/pdf | |
| dc.identifier.uri | https://hdl.handle.net/2104/10483 | |
| dc.language.iso | en | |
| dc.rights.accessrights | Worldwide access. | |
| dc.rights.accessrights | Access changed 5/12/21. | |
| dc.subject | Microplastic pollution. Freshwater. Urban streams. Plastics. Surface waters. | |
| dc.title | Microplastic pollution in surface waters of urban watersheds in Central Texas, USA : a comparison above and below treated wastewater effluents. | |
| dc.type | Thesis | |
| dc.type.material | text | |
| local.embargo.lift | 2020-12-01 | |
| local.embargo.terms | 2020-12-01 | |
| thesis.degree.department | Baylor University. Dept. of Environmental Science. | |
| thesis.degree.grantor | Baylor University | |
| thesis.degree.level | Masters | |
| thesis.degree.name | M.S. |
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