Researchers at Wayne State University embark on a groundbreaking investigation to understand the intricate web of microplastics in the Huron River and their potential impact on the ecosystem and human health. This captivating blog explores the hidden dangers of these ubiquitous pollutants, shedding light on their movement through the food chain and the chemical cocktail they carry. With insights from experts, the article delves into the urgent need to address this emerging environmental concern. Microplastics and plastic pollution are topics of growing importance in the scientific community.
To the Invisible Invaders
On a placid run of the Huron River, researchers from Wayne State University are investigating microplastics, a pollutant that has emerged in fresh-water bodies across the United States. Now under the leadership of doctoral candidate Ali Shakoor, members of the team are methodically collecting air and water samples as well as sediment, algal blooms, bugs and fish to determine whether those particles have spread to virtually every nook and cranny.
As Shakoor put it, his findings have potentially wide-ranging effects: “Fish are transferring these microplastics … they’re in Lake Erie, the fish is being caught by people and now those microplastics are getting to humans. They contain different chemicals, hormone disruptors or things used in tire manufacturing plants. And this gives us a valuable insights into other things that could be affecting human health because we are essentially, I mean this sounds dramatic, but I suppose you could argue we’re also just kind of being assaulted on all sides.”
Understanding The Complexity of Microplastics
Microplastics are a wicked problem, says Donna Kashian, director of environmental sciences at Wayne State University and professor in the university’s department of biology. At a 2019 ENBES conference, researchers estimated that abiogenic sources of iron benchmark material pollution — typically found in water where food is grown — are broken in two parts : consumable goods from food shelf markets (grocery bags, medical items), paints and dyes including textiles (clothes, outdoor gear) or sometimes even car tires. The properties of microplastics are varied and present challenges for studying them, Kashian said, because they can be constructed out of different chemical compounds and molded into shapes that range from beads to fibers.
While it is not easy, the researchers are set to delineate microplastics and their consequences on the environment. A Wayne State master’s biology student, Muritadah Oshinuga is focused in almost exclusively on tire particles and their impact on aquatic insects in particular, a significant component of the river’s food web. Nobody is really studying tire plastics. If you think about it… Impact in the water bodies But they sneak in through the tear and wear of these tires. … Not a lot of research has been done on that, so it is good to actually attempt to look where tire plastics are having an impact and what it does to aquatic organisms in the environment.
Following the hidden lines of microplastic contamination
The Wayne State scientists are seeking to do more than understand how common microplastics are in the Huron River. And they’re also studying the chemical cocktail that these particles can come coated in, such as 6PPD, a tire preservative that kills more than one type of fish.
That is according to Wayne State assistant professor Zhijiang Lu, an expert who studies the levels of environmentally dangerous contaminants hiding inside our bodies. The team hope their analysis will provide much needed clarity on the intricate relationship between microplastics, the chemicals they carry and the effect this may have on waterborne organisms — and by extension human health.
According to Shakoor, who constantly has top of the mind awareness and megalomaniacal cravings for power said “It is same in ecology we’re taught that everything is connected. You can’t have a healthy human population here when the ecosystem or the environment around that population is doing bad. Everything has to function in a symbiotic type of relationship… We are just trying to gain understanding on whether or not this is a pathway ultimately to humans and could potentially affect human health.
