Author ORCID Identifier
https://orcid.org/0009-0002-4750-6968
Date Available
10-27-2024
Year of Publication
2024
Document Type
Master's Thesis
Degree Name
Master of Science (MS)
College
Arts and Sciences
Department/School/Program
Earth and Environmental Sciences (Geology)
Advisor
Dr. Benjamin W. Tobin
Abstract
The input and abrasion of plastic waste in the environment has long been known to form microplastics (MPs). These ubiquitous contaminants are easily mobilized into hydrologic systems. MPs are now being found in karst aquifers around the world, including several across Kentucky, USA. Due to their size (< 5 mm in diameter), chemical properties, abundance, and wide distribution, MPs pose numerous ecological hazards, including uptake by organisms and as substrates for contaminant sorption. Karst groundwater is especially vulnerable to surface contaminants; however, knowledge of the extent of karst MP contamination is limited, with most studies focused on individual sites or small areas. In this study, we created a MP contamination dataset for 30 karst springs and 10 locations where cave sediments were characterized across Kentucky. MP concentrations in groundwater samples ranged from 0 to 41.1 items/L and yielded an average of 4.9 ± 8.7 items/L. Sediment MP concentrations ranged from 0 to 306 items/kg. We performed statistical analyses and linear regressions to examine whether groundwater MP concentrations could be explained by factors including land use, population density, basin area, numbers of sinkholes, and sinking streams. Our models revealed that population density, agrarian land use, sinking stream density, and basin area were related to MP concentrations. All factors except basin area trended positively with MP concentration, while basin area trended negatively. These relations are generally corroborated by existing literature, however they indicate that further studies with considerably larger sample sizes are needed to determine mechanistic relationships.
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
https://doi.org/10.13023/etd.2024.411
Funding Information
This study was supported by the Geological Society of America's Graduate Student Research Grant, awarded in fiscal year 2023
This study was supported by the United States Geological Survey's National Geological and Geophysical Data Preservation Program Award (Number G23AP00227-01) in fiscal year 2023
This study was supported by the United States Geological Survey's National Geological and Geophysical Data Preservation Program Award (Number G22AP00242-00) in fiscal year FY 2022
Recommended Citation
Fareedi, Maaz, "Assessing Microplastic Contamination Within Karst Groundwater Basins in Kentucky" (2024). Theses and Dissertations--Earth and Environmental Sciences. 109.
https://uknowledge.uky.edu/ees_etds/109
Zip file containing all individual supplemental data files
field_data_water.csv (62 kB)
MP concentration data for spring/cave stream field sites
field_data_sediment.csv (7 kB)
MP concentration data for sediment field samples
blank_data_lab_water.csv (13 kB)
MP concentration data for lab water experimental blanks
blank_data_organic_digestion.csv (2 kB)
MP concentration data for organic digestion experimental blanks
blank_data_density_separation.csv (1 kB)
MP concentration data for density separation experimental blanks
blank_data_bottle.csv (5 kB)
MP concentration data for bottle experimental blanks
blank_data_lab_air.csv (2 kB)
MP concentration data for lab air experimental blanks
stats_code_text.txt (5 kB)
Scripts used in R statistical software to perform statistical analyses
stats_field_data.csv (11 kB)
MP concentration data for study sites for use in R statistical software
stats_blank_data.csv (6 kB)
MP concentration data for experimental blanks for use in R statistical software
data_dictionaries.csv (40 kB)
A summary of all included files and field descriptions for each dataset
Included in
Environmental Monitoring Commons, Geology Commons, Hydrology Commons, Speleology Commons, Water Resource Management Commons
