Microplastics, a Carrier for Perfluorinated Contaminants? [poster]

Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) are contaminants with the potential to impose adverse health effects on wildlife and human health through introduction into food webs. Bioaccumulation in the aquatic environment is a known mechanism for PFASs to transfer into the food chain at different trophic levels. The longevity of PFASs in the environment is due to its thermally stable, oxidatively recalcitrant and resist microbial degradation properties. Given the prevalence of PFASs and microplastics in the environment, these contaminants may act synergistically in food webs. To investigate this hypothesis, microplastics have been deployed in Lake Muskegon, MI, and were retrieved at select time-points for PFAS analysis. Environmental samples were also collected and analyzed for background PFAS concentrations. The purpose of this analysis is to determine to what extent microplastics concentrate PFAS in surface waters. The results from this study will provide a deeper understanding into how microplastics may be a vector for pollution.