Community Science Microplastic monitoring
What are Microplastics?
Society is heavily reliant on plastic products. However, half of the nearly 300 million tons of plastic produced every year are used once and thrown away (1; 2). Larger pieces of plastic fragment from factors such as sunlight, wind, and currents once in the ocean (3). Primary microplastics are manufactured to be small and can be found in face washes, toothpastes, and makeup, while secondary microplastics result from larger plastic breaking down in the ocean (4).
Negative Effects of Microplastics
As plastics break down into microplastics, they absorb and release more chemicals from the surrounding environment. The harmful chemicals in microplastics can work their way up the food chain to humans and other organisms through the process of biomagnification (5; 6). Algae and plants, along with fish, can absorb chemicals like BPA through the water. Predators such as sharks, dolphins, and even humans accumulate these chemicals when they eat fish or other organisms lower on the food chain (4).
Community Science
Community science, also known as citizen science, allows the public to engage in the process of solving problems. Tasks that community scientists can participate in include asking questions, collecting data, and analyzing data (7). After testing several previously used methods, we developed the Star Method specifically for community scientists in Iceland. By doing so, we hope to raise awareness and encourage public involvement in monitoring microplastics. We also hope to enable the creation of a public databse for monitoring the concentration and distribution of microplastics on Icelandic beaches.
The Star Method
The Star Method is a low cost, easy-to-use, time efficient method that we developed for monitoring microplastics. Anybody can use it. The only materials you need are an object to mark location, gloves, corn syrup, a spoon, a container to dispose of microplastics, and two glass or metal containers. Using this method, community scientists can hand pick for microplastics through five circular sample sites. They can then perform a simple density test using corn syrup to confirm that the particles they gathered are microplastics. The method was developed specifically for Icelandic beaches.
An Informational Video
This video details the harmful effects of microplastic pollution.