Presence of Microplastics in the Food Web of the Largest High-Elevation Lake in North America
1
Montana Cooperative Fishery Research Unit, Department of Ecology, Montana State University, Bozeman, MT 59717, USA
2
U.S. Geological Survey, Montana Cooperative Fishery Research Unit, Department of Ecology, Montana State University, Bozeman, MT 59717, USA
3
U.S. National Park Service, Yellowstone Center for Resources, Native Fish Conservation Program, Post Office Box 168, Yellowstone National Park, WY 82190, USA
*
Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Academic Editor: Bing-Jie Ni
Water 2021, 13(3), 264; https://doi.org/10.3390/w13030264
Received: 22 December 2020
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Revised: 18 January 2021
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Accepted: 20 January 2021
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Published: 22 January 2021
(This article belongs to the Section Water Quality and Contamination)
Microplastics have been documented in aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems throughout the world. However, few studies have investigated microplastics in freshwater fish diets. In this study, water samples and three trophic levels of a freshwater food web were investigated for microplastic presence: amphipods (Gammarus lacustris), Yellowstone cutthroat trout (Oncorhynchus clarkii bouvieri), and lake trout (Salvelinus namaycush). Microplastics and other anthropogenic materials were documented in water samples, amphipods, and fish, then confirmed using FTIR (Fourier-transform infrared) and Raman spectroscopy. Our findings confirmed the presence of microplastics and other anthropogenic materials in three trophic levels of a freshwater food web in a high-elevation lake in a national park, which corroborates recent studies implicating the global distribution of microplastics. This study further illustrates the need for global action regarding the appropriate manufacturing, use, and disposal of plastics to minimize the effects of plastics on the environment.
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Keywords:
Yellowstone lake; microplastics; Yellowstone cutthroat trout; food web; freshwater; protected area
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MDPI and ACS Style
Driscoll, S.C.; Glassic, H.C.; Guy, C.S.; Koel, T.M. Presence of Microplastics in the Food Web of the Largest High-Elevation Lake in North America. Water 2021, 13, 264. https://doi.org/10.3390/w13030264
AMA Style
Driscoll SC, Glassic HC, Guy CS, Koel TM. Presence of Microplastics in the Food Web of the Largest High-Elevation Lake in North America. Water. 2021; 13(3):264. https://doi.org/10.3390/w13030264
Chicago/Turabian StyleDriscoll, Stephanie C., Hayley C. Glassic, Christopher S. Guy, and Todd M. Koel. 2021. "Presence of Microplastics in the Food Web of the Largest High-Elevation Lake in North America" Water 13, no. 3: 264. https://doi.org/10.3390/w13030264
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