ES-08. Microplastics in Mountain Ecosystems of the Colorado Front Range

Abstract
Microplastic pollution has reached public concern due to its implications for human and environmental health. This is primarily driven by the ubiquity of microplastic contamination and initial research showing the effects of microplastics on biotic and abiotic ecological processes. The field of microplastic research in marine settings has made considerable advances, however, there is limited research investigating the impacts of microplastics in sensitive mountain ecosystems. High microplastic deposition rates in the Colorado Front Range (9.6 Mt yr-1) make it an ideal study system for investigating the ecological impacts of microplastics in mountain ecosystems. With worldwide and local plastic use projected to increase, now is a critical time to investigate how microplastics impact the Rocky Mountains and their natural resources. My research focuses on developing methods for isolating microplastics from environmental matrices (e.g., benthic sediments, creek waters, lake waters, and soils) to explore how microplastics are distributed across the elevation gradient of the Colorado Front Range, estimate toxicity in biota most at-risk to microplastic contamination, and investigate how microplastics impact biogeochemical processes. This poster outlines research efforts starting Summer 2023 where I will be testing modified isolation methods established by the National Ocean and Atmospheric Administration for soil and sediments samples, a microplastic collection net for creek waters, and a peristaltic pump and filter-based method for lake waters. In acquiring microplastic concentrations and trait distribution (e.g., polymer composition, morphology, and size) across the Colorado Front Range, testable hypotheses can be made to determine the potential impacts of microplastics in mountain ecosystems.