Plastic pollution in the Lake Ontario Watershed: input, fate, impact and solutions

Professor

Thomas H. Gosnell School of Life Sciences

College of Science

Rochester Institute of Technology

Plastic pollution is an increasing planetary-scale environmental issue. However, most research has focused on marine ecosystems, with less emphasis on the freshwater ecosystems that are critical for humans. The plastic problem in freshwater ecosystems is significant and highly complex, with substantial variability in polymer composition and entry points into waterways. Once in the environment, the chemical, physical, and biological transformation may significantly influence the ultimate fate and impact to organisms, ecosystem functions, and potential human health risks. I’ll focus on two system-level studies we’re conducting to understand the input, transport, fate and impact of plastic in freshwater ecosystems in the Great Lakes Basin. In the first, we evaluated fate and impact of plastic debris in waterbodies of the Lake Ontario Basin. In the second, we aim to better understand the input and fate of plastic across a rural-to-urban gradient. I will introduce the new Lake Ontario Center for Microplastics and Human Health and briefly describe our mitigation strategies involving debris interception and community engagement.

Christy Tyler is a professor of Environmental Science at the Rochester Institute of Technology. She is an ecosystem ecologist and has worked across coastal marine and freshwater ecosystems on issues related to biogeochemistry, emerging contaminants, biodiversity, and restoration. Her recent work is related to plastic contamination in freshwater ecosystems and she currently serves as the co-director of the Center for Microplastics and Human Health in a Changing Environment.