Microplastics — plastics smaller than five millimeters — are a pervasive environmental issue that scientists worldwide are studying to understand how they impact waters and wildlife. Often, these plastics come from wastewater treatment plants, which are not presently equipped to filter such small plastics, but also form when larger pieces of plastic debris degrade in the environment.
In 2016, Hudson River Park began a four-year survey with Brooklyn College to measure the concentration of microplastics in Sanctuary waters and to support regional efforts to understand this emerging threat. Findings from this survey were published in the Marine Pollution Bulletin in 2020. The Park continues to support the study of microplastics through the Park’s Visiting Scholars Program, currently assisting researchers in exploring how plastics can act as vectors for both chemicals and microbes.
Check out our the work from our Visiting Scholars Program!
Scientific Publications
We are excited to share that Hudson River Park’s microplastic research has been published in the Marine Pollution Bulletin, a peer-reviewed international science publication, in December 2020. The Park’s science team sampled and analyzed surface microplastics within the Estuarine Sanctuary as part of a 4-year survey which found an average of approximately 200,000 plastic particles per square kilometer, which is a comparable concentration to other local and regional studies.
For the full, peer-reviewed research paper containing additional information, please visit Science Direct or download the PDF.