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Originally appears in the Fall 2021 issue.

By Brian Ringholz

What are microplastics?

Have you ever wondered if there are small plastics in the water you drink, bathe, or relax in? It is likely there are small fragments, fibers, or granules of manufactured or degraded plastic called microplastics in the water you have contact with every day. Microplastic pollution can come from small scrubbers in facial cleansers and cosmetics, the pellets shipped to different industries that are melted into a mold to form a plastic product, and the physical decomposition of larger plastic debris such as bottles or polyester clothing. Plastics and their attached toxins can threaten both wildlife and human health due to accidental consumption or inhalation. Microplastics cannot be digested, and this leads to starvation of organisms because they feel full from the plastic build-up in their stomachs.¹ If ingested, chemicals can leach from the plastic. Build-up of plastic can also cause blockages of digestive tracts and clogging of animals’ feeding structures. We could potentially consume microplastics through drinking water,² seafood, or inhalation. This harms our body systems and can even cause cancer.³

Students and the public can contribute to scientific knowledge of microplastic invasiveness in their communities. Citizen-science initiatives have the potential to provide more sampling power, while increasing the public’s education about and awareness of this issue.⁴ Extensive data collection can help scientists track microplastics in the environment to determine areas that need focused interventions. Utilizing a combination of citizen science and inquiry-based teaching strategies is a fun and effective means of teaching complex environmental issues such as plastic pollution. The simple procedure used in this project involves applying Nile Red, a useful stain that detects the presence of microplastics.⁵ This technique allows for the adaptation of simple collection and analysis protocols that are accessible to the average citizen scientist or student. Participants in this inquiry-based project designed for high school students are given the opportunity to find their own water sample to test for microplastics; doing so fosters a connection between the learners and their local environment.