By: Nicolas Dovalina
Microplastics are pollutants to the environment when they accumulate in benthic sediments and shorelines around the world. Microplastics are 0.1 µm- 5 mm in size, and are found in the environment as a result of improper disposal of cosmetic exfoliants, pieces of larger plastics, microfibers from ropes, and road paint particles. Because they are found so heavily in the environment, they affect a multitude of animals including zooplankton, marine mammals, and even turtles and seabirds. These animals ingest the microplastics, which can negatively affect their food intake, and reduce the amount of energy available for growth and reproductive success.
Schematic and photograph of SMI unit
Sediment-Microplastic Isolation (SMI) unit is a portable device that is used to extract microplastics from different sediment types to remove them from the environment, fixing the problems that are caused by microplastics. This device is able to mix the sediment and microplastics, and the density flotation is used to float plastics above a shut-off valve and separate them from the rest of the sediment. The success of this device relies heavily on the use of zinc chloride to separate the sediment and the microplastics because of their differences in density. The SMI unit is an inexpensive, efficient, and versatile device that is able to work in all types of habitats with an efficiency of 95.8%.
Percent recovery of microplastics from different types of plastic
References:
Coppock, R., Cole, M., Lindeque, P., Queiros, A., and Galloway, T. 2017. A small-scale, portable method for extracting microplastics from marine sediments. Environ. Pollut. 230: 829-37.
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