{"id":18355,"date":"2023-06-20T12:26:14","date_gmt":"2023-06-20T16:26:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ncseagrant.ncsu.edu\/coastwatch\/?page_id=18355"},"modified":"2025-09-03T15:00:57","modified_gmt":"2025-09-03T19:00:57","slug":"river-of-plastics","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ncseagrant.ncsu.edu\/coastwatch\/river-of-plastics\/","title":{"rendered":"A River of Plastics"},"content":{"rendered":"\n\n\n\n
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\n \n FROM THE SUMMER 2023 ISSUE<\/span>\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t<\/svg><\/span>\n <\/a>\n <\/div>\n \n\n <\/div>\n\n\n\n

Plastics make up an overwhelming majority of all marine debris. This debris originates from mismanaged waste, fishing gear, and the manufacture of products that include clothing and cosmetics. About 13 million metric tons of plastics end up in our oceans every year.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Rivers supply most of the plastics in coastal environments, which can have adverse impacts. Birds and marine mammals can consume or become entangled in debris. Larger plastics can obstruct an animal\u2019s digestive tract, eventually even leading to death. Chemicals on surface plastic also can be toxic and accumulate up the food chain.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Where does plastic end up?<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Plastics do not degrade quickly in the aquatic environment, rather they break into microplastics \u2014 pieces smaller than 5mm (1\/5 inch) \u2014 which persist and pose a threat to marine plants and animals. Sea life often mistakes colorful plastic particles for food. Scientists have found plastic particles in sea turtles, whales, sea birds, and other organisms.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Microplastics also accumulate in the fish, crabs, and oysters that humans consume.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Is any environment totally free of plastics?<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Recent research has revealed plastics are widespread in our natural environment, and microplastics are present on every continent and in some of the most pristine areas of the planet.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When it rains, litter on streets, sidewalks, and ditches washes through storm drains into our waterways. Plastic carried by North Carolina\u2019s coastal-draining rivers flows into our sounds and estuaries and can enter the ocean through inlets between barrier islands.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Download full size infographic and fact sheet (PDF)<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

How much plastic is in our rivers, sounds, and estuaries \u2014 and where is it coming from?<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

To better understand plastic pollution in North Carolina\u2019s waterways, NC State University and North Carolina Sea Grant studied streams in the Neuse River Basin using a variety of field-sampling methods.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Neuse River originates in the Piedmont and flows into the Albemarle-Pamlico Sound, the second largest estuary in the country. This estuary includes an interconnected network of sounds that provide important habitat for finfish, shellfish, and marine mammals, as well as serving as a vital recreational area for residents and visitors.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Our study was the first to sample microplastics in North Carolina\u2019s freshwater rivers and streams, focusing on 15 locations throughout the Neuse River Basin, from Wake County to Craven County. We evaluated the presence of microplastic particles by trawling for several minutes using a net with 335-micron openings (about the size of a small grain of sand) and by bailing 100 liters (about 26.4 gallons) of water through a 64-micron mesh opening (roughly the thickness of a human hair).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What about larger pieces of plastic?<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

We also sampled larger plastic debris (\u201cmacroplastics\u201d) and other litter at streams in the upper portion of the Neuse River Basin using three methods.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

First, we made regular collections from rectangular grids that included the channel and floodplain at seven streams under a range of conditions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Second, we deployed a trash capture device during stormflows at two highly urbanized streams.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Third, from bridges at two large tributaries and from a small, highly-urban stream in Raleigh, we observed and counted floating trash during stormflow events.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Removal of trash from the Litter Gitter\u00a9 prototype following a storm event at Marsh Creek.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

What do the findings reveal?<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Microplastics<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n