Document Type
Article
Publication Date
Spring 2019
Publication Title
Groundwater
Volume
57
Issue
2
Pages
189-196
Publisher Name
Wiley
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.
Recommended Citation
Panno, Samuel V.; Kelly, Walton R.; Scott, John; Zheng, Wei; McNeish, Rachel E.; Holm, Nancy; Hoellein, Timothy; and Baranski, Elizabeth L.. Microplastic Contamination in Karst Groundwater Systems. Groundwater, 57, 2: 189-196, 2019. Retrieved from Loyola eCommons, Biology: Faculty Publications and Other Works, http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/gwat.12862
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 License.
Copyright Statement
© National Ground Water Association, 2019.
Comments
Author Posting © National Ground Water Association, 2019. This is the author's version of the work. It is posted here by permission of National Ground Water Association for personal use, not for redistribution. The definitive version was published in Groundwater, Volume 57, Issue 2, March/April 2019. https://doi.org/10.1111/gwat.12862