Re sults fro m the Che sa pe a ke Ba y Pro g ra m Sc ie ntific & T e c hnic a l Adviso ry Co mmitte e Wo rksho p o n Mic ro pla stic s in the Che sa pe a ke Ba y a nd its Wa te rshe d MAT T ROBINSON PART NE RING AND E NVIRONME NT AL CONSE RVAT ION BRANCH WAT E RSHE D PROT E CT ION DIVI SI ON DC DE PART ME NT OF E NE RGY AND E NVIRONME NT
Why Do We Car e about T r ash i n DC? Photo taken by Masaya Maeda, Anacostia Watershed Society @DOE E _DC
T he Anac osti a Ri ver T r ash T MDL Ana c o stia rive r liste d b y DC a s impa ire d fo r tra sh in 2006, fo llo we d b y Ma ryla nd in 2008 Almo st 200,000 lb s/ yr a ttrib ute d to MS4 MS po int so urc e s Co mb ine d se we r MS MS4 syste m (CSS) a nd Munic ipa l Se pa ra te CS CSO Sto rm Se we r Syste m (MS4) Ove r 20,000 lb s/ yr a ttrib ute d to no n- po int so urc e s ille g a l dumping MS MS4 But, o nly g e ts a t tra sh g re a te r tha n to a n inc h in dia me te r o r le ng th @DOE E _DC
What About the S mal l S tuff? F o a m Sta rts Out a s T his… …And Turns Into This @DOE E _DC
E vi denc e of Mi c r opl asti c s i n DC Pho to s b y Ma sa ya Ma e d a , Ana c o stia Wa te rshe d So c ie ty, 2017 @DOE E _DC
- 96% inc re a se in SAV in DC b e twe e n 2009 a nd 2017 - Surpa sse d Che sa pe a ke Ba y Pro g ra m g o a ls fo r SAV re sto ra tio n - SAV a lso ha b ita t fo r la rva e o f DC sta te fish, Ame ric a n Sha d ( A. sapidissima ) - Que stio n: c o uld SAV b e ds b e c a pturing mic ro pla stic s? @DOE E _DC
S tudy of Mi c r opl asti c s i n S AV B eds i n DC • Sa mpling site s c ho se n in Po to ma c Rive r b a se d o n Virg inia I nstitute o f Ma rine Sc ie nc e 2016 ma ps o f SAV b e ds. • Pa ire d sa mple s o f SAV tissue ta ke n during F a ll 2017 in SAV b e ds a nd a dja c e nt o pe n wa te r c o lumn (i.e . 2 in the b e d, 2 o utside the b e d). • Sa mple s c a pture d using 500 um nitre x b a g a ffixe d to D-fra me . SAV wa s se ve re d a t the se dime nt surfa c e a nd the b a g wa s c inc he d tig ht. • De pth ta ke n to de te rmine vo lume o f wa te r. T e tra T e c h sta ff • Mic ro pla stic s we re e xtra c te d in the la b using c o nduc ting sa mpling visua l so rting . @DOE E _DC
S tudy of Mi c r opl asti c s i n S AV B eds i n DC Type; LS Means Current effect: F(1, 12)=5.9873, p=.03077 Vertical bars denote 0.95 confidence intervals 0.12 0.10 0.08 0.06 Particles l-1 0.04 0.02 0.00 -0.02 -0.04 Vegetated Unvegetated Type F ig ure 1 – Me a n mic ro pla stic pa rtic le c o nc e ntra tio n (# o f pa rtic le s/ vo lume o f sa mple ) in ve g e ta te d b e ds vs. unve g e ta te d b e ds (n=14, 5 ve g e ta te d, 9 unve g e ta te d ) @DOE E _DC
Mi c r opl asti c s i n the Chesapeake B ay and Water shed • Ho w c a n we b ring mo re a tte ntio n to this issue re g io na lly? • SAV Wo rkg ro up a t the Che sa pe a ke Ba y Pro g ra m a pplie d fo r a Sc ie ntific & T e c hnic a l Adviso ry Co mmitte e (ST AC) g ra nt to ho ld a wo rksho p in 2019 a b o ut mic ro pla stic s in the b a y a nd wa te rshe d • DC a full pa rtne r in the CBP pa rtne rship sinc e the sig ning o f the 1987 Che sa pe a ke Ba y Ag re e me nt @DOE E _DC
T he Chesapeake B ay Pr ogr am @DOE E _DC
B ac kgr ound on S T AC • F o unde d in 1984 • Pro vide s sc ie ntific a nd te c hnic a l g uida nc e to the Che sa pe a ke Ba y Pro g ra m o n me a sure s to re sto re a nd pro te c t the Che sa pe a ke Ba y. • One wa y it do e s this is thro ug h spo nso ring wo rksho ps fo c use d o n a spe c ific q ue stio n o f c o nc e rn to b a y re sto ra tio n a nd pro te c tio n. @DOE E _DC
2019 S T AC Wor kshop on Mi c r opl asti c s i n the Chesapeake B ay and i ts water shed • April 24 th & 25 th , 2019 a t Ge o rg e Ma so n Unive rsity Po to ma c Sc ie nc e Ce nte r, Wo o db rid g e , VA • Atte nde d b y o ve r 50 sc ie ntists, re so urc e ma na g e rs, a nd po lic y pro fe ssio na ls fro m fe de ra l a nd sta te a g e nc ie s, a c a de mia , a nd NGOs @DOE E _DC
Wor kshop F or mat • Ste e ring c o mmitte e de c ide d e a rly o n tha t the wo rksho p sho uld b e fo rma tte d a ro und c o nduc ting a n e c o lo g ic a l risk a sse ssme nt (E RA) • T he E c o lo g ic a l Risk F ra me wo rk c o nsists o f the fo llo wing c o mpo ne nts: 1. Pro b le m F o rmula tio n: De te rmine a sse ssme nt e ndpo ints a nd me a sure me nt e ndpo ints 2. Risk Ana lysis: I de ntify te sta b le linka g e s b e twe e n so urc e s, stre sso rs a nd a sse ssme nt e ndpo ints 3. Risk Cha ra c te riza tio n: Wha t a re the risk a nd e ffe c ts? E x. L C50 – L e tha l c o nc e ntra tio n to kill 50% o f a po pula tio n E c o lo g ic a l Risk F ra me wo rk (E PA, 1992) @DOE E _DC
Wor kshop Questi ons 1. Wha t a re the so urc e s o f mic ro pla stic s to the b a y a nd its trib uta rie s? 2. Ho w c o mmo n a re mic ro pla stic s in the Che sa pe a ke Ba y a nd its trib uta rie s? 3. Wha t a dditio na l info rma tio n do we ne e d to g a ug e distrib utio n? 4. Po ssib le e ffe c ts o f mic ro pla stic s o n ha b ita t a nd living re so urc e s? 5. Are the re a ny po lic y a nd ma na g e me nt to o ls b e ing use d to a ddre ss pla stic po llutio n in the b a y (e .g ., Ana c o stia Rive r T ra sh T MDL )? Ho w e ffe c tive ha ve the y b e e n? 6. Ca n we re c o mme nd pursuing future studie s o r ne w ma na g e me nt a nd po lic y? Ca n we re c o mme nd mo re funding b e ma de a va ila b le fo r re se a rc h a t this time ? @DOE E _DC
E xampl e Pr esentati ons I ntro duc tio n to E c o lo g ic a l Risk F ra me wo rks – Je rry Dia mo nd, T e tra T e c h So urc e s 1. Wa ste wa te r – Chris Burb a g e , Ha mpto n Ro a ds Sa nita tio n Distric t 2. Sto rmwa te r – Pho ng T rie u, Me tro po lita n Wa shing to n Co unc il o f Go ve rnme nts Pre se nc e in the Ba y a nd Wa te rshe d 1. T ida l wa te rs– L a nc e Yo nko s, Unive rsity o f Ma ryla nd 2. No n-tida l wa te rs – Sha wn F ishe r, USGS E ffe c ts o n L iving Re so urc e s 1. Bla c k se a b a ss – Susa nne Bra nde r, Ore g o n Sta te Unive rsity 2. Oyste rs– Christine K na uss, Unive rsity o f Ma ryla nd Po lic y & Ma na g e me nt T o o ls 1. VA Ma rine De b ris Pla n – K a tie Re g iste r, Cle a n VA Wa te rwa ys 2. Ana c o stia Rive r T ra sh T MDL – Ma tt Ro b inso n, DC DOE E @DOE E _DC
Conc l usi ons Studie s ha ve sho wn mic ro pla stic s a re ub iq uito us thro ug ho ut the b a y a nd its trib uta rie s. T he y ha ve b e e n fo und in b o th tida l (Yo nko s, 2014; Ro c hma n, 2019) a nd no n-tida l wa te rs (F ishe r, 2019). T he re is g e ne ra l a g re e me nt tha t pla stic s re pre se nt a wide spre a d, b ut la rg e ly unq ua ntifie d, thre a t to the Che sa pe a ke Ba y e c o syste m. Ne e d sta nda rdiza tio n o f te rmino lo g y (e .g . mic ro pla stic size c la ss) T he re a re a numb e r o f pie c e me a l e ffo rts to mo nito r pla stic s in the Ba y, b ut no syste ma tic e ffo rt a nd no o rg a nize d e ffo rt dire c te d a t mic ro - a nd na no - pla stic s. T he MOST URGE NT ne e d is to ide ntify asse ssme nt e ndpoints that r e pr e se nt ar e as of e nvir onme ntal and human he alth c onc e r n and to c har ac te r ize the se ve r ity of those r isks. @DOE E _DC
Coul d Mi c r opl asti c s Affec t S uc c ess of Restor ati on? Wa te r Qua lity a nd Huma n He a lth: Se e le y e t a l. (2019) fo und impa c ts o f PVC pa rtic le s o n b e nthic b a c te ria whic h c o uld a ffe c t N c yc le . L a ve rty a nd Do b b s (2018) fo und mic ro pla stic s se rve a s ha b ita t fo r b a c te ria a nd pa tho g e ns, spe c ific a lly Vib rio spp. Po te ntia l huma n he a lth e ffe c ts? Re se a rc h ha s sho wn na no pla stic s c ro ss c e llula r me mb ra ne s. Po te ntia l e ffe c ts o n c e llula r pro c e sse s? F ishe ry Spe c ie s: We kno w thing s a re e a ting mic ro pla stic s in the b a y a nd wa te rshe d Sma llmo uth b a ss: Pa rks e t a l. (2019) sho we d 95% o f b a ss sa mple d (n=67) in c e ntra l Susq ue ha nna rive r ha d mic ro pla stic s in g ut. Oyste rs: K na uss (2019) sho w so me impa c t o n o yste r la rva e re spira tio n. Co uld this impa c t la rva l surviva l? Bla c k Se a b a ss: Bra nde r (2019) sho we d e ffe c ts o n re spira tio n o f Bla c k Se a b a ss. Ha b ita t Murphy e t a l. (2019) fo und mic ro pla stic s a c c umula te in SAV b e d c a no pie s in Po to ma c Rive r @DOE E _DC
H ow do we c ommuni c ate the i mpac t to the CB P? Potential effects? Example Digestive system Endpoint? Growth Respiration Healthy Fish (e.g. Am Shad DC State Fish!) Risk? Plastics are everywhere. Uptake through ingestion or potential physical harm to gills. Exposure? Plastic in the water, sediment, and food How do plastics get there? Stormwater, Wastewater, Air, Non-point sources What do we know about these sources? @DOE E _DC
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