Evaluating community science sampling for microplastics in shore sediments of large river watersheds

Abstract

A community science project in the Ottawa River Watershed in Canada interacted with an existing volunteer base to collect sediment from 68 locations in the watershed over approximately 750 km. Ninety-one percent of the distributed kits were returned with 42 volunteers taking part in the project. After analysis, particle concentrations were relatively low compared to previous freshwater microplastic sediment research, with contributing factors including (but not limited to) the large size of the watershed, a lower population base compared to other researched freshwater watersheds, the relative size and discharge of the Ottawa River and the large seasonal fluxes experienced in the river basin. Utilising community science for sampling large freshwater watersheds demonstrated its advantages in the research, especially spatially. However, careful consideration to research design and implementation is essential for community science projects examining microplastics in freshwater sediments. Research teams should ensure they are responsible for strict quality assurance and quality control protocols, especially in the laboratory with sample preparation and processing. Nonetheless, community science is potentially an extremely useful approach for researchers to use for microplastic sampling projects over large spatial areas.