The Sources of Microplastics in San Francisco Bay, California, USA
Abstract
Understanding the sources of microplastics to an ecosystem informs mitigation. Here, I determined the importance of specific sources of microplastics to San Francisco Bay – a heavily populated bay in California, USA. I quantified and characterized microplastics in surface waters of the bay and adjacent National Marine Sanctuaries (NMS). I also quantified and characterized microplastics in source waters: wastewater effluent and stormwater runoff. I compared the diversity of microplastics in source waters to surface water. My results suggest that stormwater runoff influenced microplastic concentrations in Central Bay and South Bay, while wastewater effluent influenced microplastics in North Bay and Lower South Bay. Our findings show that effective mitigation strategies may vary by location. Throughout this project, we came across difficulties identifying fibers using spectroscopic techniques and developed a method to circumvent barriers. The success of the method was confirmed and applied to samples from The Bay to demonstrate its applicability.
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