Primary Convener:
Omar Abdul-Aziz, West Virginia University

Convener:
Abul Baki, Clarkson University
Maryam Salehi, University of Missouri
Beizhan Yan, Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory

Chair:
Omar Abdul-Aziz, West Virginia University
Abul Baki, Clarkson University
Maryam Salehi, University of Missouri
Beizhan Yan, Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory

Microplastics (MPs; size ≤ 5 mm) are considered emerging contaminants with a long half-life and legacy effects. Microplastics have been ubiquitous in the environment worldwide, including in lakes, rivers, groundwater, Arctic snow, and oceans. MPs raise serious pollution concerns due to their prevalence, long-range transport, persistence, and adverse health impacts. However, the processes and associated drivers of MP distribution, fate, and transport dynamics are not well-understood, particularly along the continuum from sources through rivers to estuaries. Modeling and predictions of MP concentrations in waterbodies may involve high uncertainty, primarily due to the lack of observational data, as well as the parameterizations of a complex set of interactive and possibly scale-dependent physicochemical processes. This session invites abstracts on sources, abundance, controls, transport dynamics, modeling and predictions of MP distribution in aquatic ecosystems, including streams, rivers, lakes, and estuaries.

Index Terms
0240 Public health
1847 Modeling
1871 Surface water quality
1879 Watershed

Co-Organized Sessions:
Global Environmental Change
Biogeosciences
GeoHealth

Suggested Itineraries:
Biochemistry
Global Impacts‚ Solutions‚ & Policies

Cross-Listed:
B - Biogeosciences
GH - GeoHealth
GC - Global Environmental Change

Neighborhoods:
3. Earth Covering
1. Science Nexus