Investigation of Microplastics Deposition in Remote Areas of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park

A microplastic deposition collection device (MDCD) will be set up at Noland Divide, Elkmont, and UT. The samples will be collected every week over the duration of a couple months in 2020, July to December. The collection equipment will be made completely out of metals and wood to prevent potential plastic contamination and will cover a 3-feet by 3-feet area (Appendix A). Four wooden legs of the MDCD made from 2x4s will be placed on the surface of the ground, and only one MDCD will be present at each site to minimize site disturbance. The wet air deposition sample will enter the stainless-steel pan of the MDCD and be funneled into a metal bucket for collection where the amount captured will be recorded. When approaching the MDCD at the site, the person collecting samples will be wearing clothing materials that are not made of plastic (i.e. cotton) and must stay downwind from the equipment at all times to eliminate chances of contaminating the sample. Deionized water carried into the site, in a glass container, will be poured over the surface of the MDCD to make sure all microplastics in the 3-feet by 3-feet area are included in the sample collected in the metal bucket. The captured water will be agitated by mixing with a metal paddle then a maximum of 1-gallon will be collected. A field blank will also be collected at each site to determine if any microplastic contamination occurred during the time of collection. Before leaving the site, information such as temperature, wind direction, humidity, and rainfall or snowfall, will be collected as well. The samples will then be carried out of the site and sent back to the UT lab, where they will be stored in a dark, approximately 4-degree Celsius refrigerator until lab processing and analysis can take place.

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