Seasonality and wind-driven atmospheric deposition predict microplastic concentrations in a Pennsylvania stream

Seasonality and wind-driven atmospheric deposition predict microplastic concentrations in a Pennsylvania stream | Research Square window.SnipcartSettings = { analytics: { enabled: false } }; (function() { var accessVector = localStorage.getItem('access_vector') || ''; window.dataLayer = window.dataLayer || []; if (accessVector) { window.dataLayer.push({ user: { profile: { profileInfo: { snid: accessVector } } } }); } })(); (function(w,d,s,l,i){w[l]=w[l]||[];w[l].push({'gtm.start':new Date().getTime(),event:'gtm.js'});var f=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0],j=d.createElement(s),dl=l!='dataLayer'?'&l='+l:'';j.async=true;j.src='https://www.googletagmanager.com/gtm.js?id='+i+dl;f.parentNode.insertBefore(j,f);})(window,document,'script','dataLayer','GTM-K279D39R'); Browse Preprints In Review Journals COVID-19 Preprints AJE Video Bytes Research Tools Research Promotion AJE Professional Editing AJE Rubriq About Preprint Platform In Review Editorial Policies Our Team Advisory Board Help Center Sign In Submit a Preprint Cite Share Download PDF Research Article Seasonality and wind-driven atmospheric deposition predict microplastic concentrations in a Pennsylvania stream Chloe Mattie, Isabella Ashman, Megan Fork, T. Elliott Arnold This is a preprint; it has not been peer reviewed by a journal. https://doi.org/ 10.21203/rs.3.rs-8881508/v1 This work is licensed under a CC BY 4.0 License Status: Posted Version 1 posted You are reading this latest preprint version Abstract We evaluate how meteorological and environmental variables relate to stream microplastic concentrations using regression-based models. Sixty-six duplicate water-column samples were collected over an annual cycle from a stream in southeastern Pennsylvania, USA. Microplastic particles were isolated and quantified by light microscopy, and polymer types were characterized using scanning electron microscopy with energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (SEM–EDS) and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). Modeling results demonstrate high variability in microplastic counts, including pronounced within-day variability (mean = 7.1 particles L⁻¹, n = 66, 1σ = 4.9 particles L⁻¹). All regression approaches evaluated (stepwise selection, LASSO, and elastic net) identify colder temperatures and stronger wind gusts as significant predictors of elevated microplastic concentrations. When scaled by riparian area, the wind-sensitive component of the stream plastic flux is consistent with physically plausible atmospheric deposition rates. These results suggest that environmental factors enhance transport of microplastics into waterways. Qualitative data from EDS and FTIR spectra indicate that polyester fibers comprise the majority of microplastic pollution in Plum Run. From this, we infer that increased laundering and shedding of synthetic clothing during winter may be a primary reason for higher pollution in winter months. microplastics stepwise environmental spectroscopy freshwater Full Text Additional Declarations No competing interests reported. Supplementary Files SupplementalTable1.docx SupplementalData.xlsx Cite Share Download PDF Status: Posted Version 1 posted You are reading this latest preprint version Research Square lets you share your work early, gain feedback from the community, and start making changes to your manuscript prior to peer review in a journal. As a division of Research Square Company, we’re committed to making research communication faster, fairer, and more useful. We do this by developing innovative software and high quality services for the global research community. Our growing team is made up of researchers and industry professionals working together to solve the most critical problems facing scientific publishing. Also discoverable on Platform About Our Team In Review Editorial Policies Advisory Board Help Center Resources Author Services Accessibility API Access RSS feed Manage Cookie Preferences © Research Square 2026 | ISSN 2693-5015 (online) Privacy Policy Terms of Service Do Not Sell My Personal Information {"props":{"pageProps":{"initialData":{"identity":"rs-8881508","acceptedTermsAndConditions":true,"allowDirectSubmit":true,"archivedVersions":[],"articleType":"Research Article","associatedPublications":[],"authors":[{"id":603964171,"identity":"811ec3d9-4a94-4a3f-b806-6b5875a6b00c","order_by":0,"name":"Chloe Mattie","email":"","orcid":"","institution":"West Chester University","correspondingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"Chloe","middleName":"","lastName":"Mattie","suffix":""},{"id":603964174,"identity":"19521a04-02a9-47b9-8126-696e88b0551e","order_by":1,"name":"Isabella Ashman","email":"","orcid":"","institution":"West Chester University","correspondingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"Isabella","middleName":"","lastName":"Ashman","suffix":""},{"id":603964175,"identity":"536914f9-f185-405c-8d9a-57b8abab9217","order_by":2,"name":"Megan Fork","email":"","orcid":"","institution":"West Chester University","correspondingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"Megan","middleName":"","lastName":"Fork","suffix":""},{"id":603964176,"identity":"0d067148-7501-4b52-8bf0-e4356f75f0d0","order_by":3,"name":"T. 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Sixty-six duplicate water-column samples were collected over an annual cycle from a stream in southeastern Pennsylvania, USA. Microplastic particles were isolated and quantified by light microscopy, and polymer types were characterized using scanning electron microscopy with energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (SEM\u0026ndash;EDS) and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). Modeling results demonstrate high variability in microplastic counts, including pronounced within-day variability (mean\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;7.1 particles L⁻\u0026sup1;, n\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;66, 1σ\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;4.9 particles L⁻\u0026sup1;). All regression approaches evaluated (stepwise selection, LASSO, and elastic net) identify colder temperatures and stronger wind gusts as significant predictors of elevated microplastic concentrations. When scaled by riparian area, the wind-sensitive component of the stream plastic flux is consistent with physically plausible atmospheric deposition rates. These results suggest that environmental factors enhance transport of microplastics into waterways. Qualitative data from EDS and FTIR spectra indicate that polyester fibers comprise the majority of microplastic pollution in Plum Run. 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