@article{ca5b523294c549d2b3eca1aeafa7dc11,
title = "Microplastic Contamination in Karst Groundwater Systems",
abstract = "Groundwater in karst aquifers constitutes about 25% of drinking water sources globally. Karst aquifers are open systems, susceptible to contamination by surface-borne pollutants. In this study, springs and wells from two karst aquifers in Illinois, USA, were found to contain microplastics and other anthropogenic contaminants. All microplastics were fibers, with a maximum concentration of 15.2 particles/L. The presence of microplastic was consistent with other parameters, including phosphate, chloride and triclosan, suggesting septic effluent as a source. More studies are needed on microplastic sources, abundance, and impacts on karst ecosystems.",
author = "Panno, {Samuel V.} and Kelly, {Walton R.} and John Scott and Wei Zheng and McNeish, {Rachel E.} and Nancy Holm and Hoellein, {Timothy J.} and Baranski, {Elizabeth L.}",
note = "Funding Information: This research was supported by the League of Women Voters of Jo Daviess County, the Illinois State Geological Survey, the Illinois State Water Survey and the Illinois Sustainable Technology Center which are part of the Prairie Research Institute, University of Illinois. The authors are grateful to the team of undergraduate students at Loyola University Chicago for laboratory processing and identification of microplastic samples, where work was supported by grants from the Illinois-Indiana Sea Grant of the National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration (074483-15907) and the National Science Foundation (CAREER 1553835). We thank Dr. Donald Luman (ISGS) for his valuable assistance with the figures, and reviewers Dr. Todd Halihan, Associate Editor Dr. Rob Schincariol, Executive Editor Dr. Henk Haitjema, and an anonymous reviewer for excellent comments and suggestions for the final draft of this paper. Publisher Copyright: {\textcopyright} 2019, National Ground Water Association.",
year = "2019",
month = mar,
day = "1",
doi = "10.1111/gwat.12862",
language = "English (US)",
volume = "57",
pages = "189--196",
journal = "Ground Water",
issn = "0017-467X",
publisher = "Wiley-Blackwell",
number = "2",
}