Hudson River Community Microplastic Remediation Pilot and Sampling Program
PROJECT BACKGROUND
Microplastics enter the food chain and circulate into human bodies eventually
Microplastics have only been recently considered as an emerging aquatic pollutant, yet they have already been identified to contaminate almost all terrestrial and aquatic environments. Recent sampling efforts have shown microplastics to be present in approximately 80% of drinking water sources sampled across 14 countries. Furthermore, microplastics have also been shown to persist within human bodily systems once ingested, having been identified in both human blood and breast milk. With many plastics containing potentially toxic and carcinogenic additives, the extent of global microplastic contamination into our aquatic environments and diets is rapidly becoming a growing public concern.
While incredibly pervasive, studies have also revealed riverine systems to be a key transportation vector for microplastics, both into broader aquatic environments like the ocean, and into drinking water sources. This is because microplastics are often emitted into riverine systems through stormwater surges, urban runoff, and wastewater treatment effluents. However, despite being aware of the role of rivers and effluents in the transportation and concentration of microplastics, there is little to no existing infrastructure currently in place to sequester aquatic microplastic pollutants. This proposal aims to pioneer efforts to advance and pilot new aquatic filtration technology designed to monitor and sequester aquatic microplastics from riverine environments. Specifically, the proposal aims to fulfill the National Sea Grant Office priority to investigate and prevent the adverse effects of marine debris through the investigation and development of riverine infrastructure for the monitoring and sequestration of potentially harmful aquatic microplastic debris from a variety of effluents and polluted tributaries within the Hudson River Watershed.
PolyGone Systems is the leading team and technology provider in this pilot project.
Leadership Team:
Nathaniel Banks, CTO, PI
Yidian Liu, COO, CO-PI
PARTNERSHIPS
Launched June 2013, the Center for the Urban River at Beczak (CURB) is an alliance of Sarah Lawrence College and the Beczak Environmental Education Center. The mission of CURB is to advance environmental knowledge and stewardship by providing high quality K-12 environmental education for the local community, establishing a regional hub for research and monitoring focused on Hudson River estuary and urban watershed issues, and serving as a welcoming open community space for a variety of civic and cultural activities.
Leadership Team:
Ryan Palmer, Director of CURB
New York Sea Grant (NYSG) is a partnership between the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Cornell University and the State University of New York (SUNY) and is part of a nationwide network of 34-university-based programs working with coastal communities. NYSG functions as a statewide network of research, education and extension services promoting coastal community economic vitality, environmental sustainability and citizen awareness about the State’s marine and Great Lakes resources.
Project Leadership:
Katherine Bunting-Howarth, CO-PI
Jessica Kuonen
INTERNSHIP WITHIN COMMUNITY
CURB is collaborating with PolyGone Systems and NYSG to develop a two-year summer internship program from 2024 to 2025. This 10-week part-time internship is to collect data to measure the baseline condition of microplastics in Hudson River and/or Saw Mill River in year 1, and to test the efficacy of PolyGone’s aquatic microplastic filtration device for microplastic remediation in year 2. This is an opportunity to achieve PolyGone and its partners’ goals while providing valuable educational experience for students interested in plastic pollution, water quality, and environmental education. This approach recognizes the lasting value generated by involving communities in applied research. It delivers positive and long-term benefits to stakeholders and community members in the watershed, by building relationships with the scientists as well as trust in the science behind the problem of microplastics and the potential benefits of the technology.
SITE INFORMATION
The project site is located at the Yonkers Floating Dock, right next to Sarah Lawrence College Center for the Urban River at Beczak (CURB). The floating dock provides a convenient access to the Hudson River.
COMMUNITY SAMPLING PROGRAM
PolyGone Systems, the Center for the Urban River at Beczak, and New York Sea Grant are partnering to provide interested students with an opportunity to gain skills in outdoor data collection, water quality sampling and monitoring, and environmental education. This student internship and volunteering program provides opportunities for currently enrolled high school and college students who are interested in gaining knowledge on microplastic crisis, monitoring & remediating microplastics and protecting water quality for communities and urban environment.
The student interns and volunteers will be trained on the monitoring and sampling protocols and then students will gain experiences in site sampling, data collection and sampling analysis of microplastics.
Our lab researcher Josh (1st, left) demonstrating sampling protocol to CURB staff, Christina Edsall (1st, right), Ryan Palmer (2nd, right), Kathalene Lamboy (2nd, left)
REGIONAL ADVISORY COMMITTEE
The Regional Advisory Committee brings together experienced professionals in education, ecology, microplastics, and community-based work to ground the project in local and regional experiences, perspectives, and needs. . The Regional Advisory Committee meets quarterly to hear project updates and provide feedback as needed on topics such as how to best characterize and communicate potential environmental risks of the filtration devices and strategizing the most effective ways to engage with the public and, specifically, underserved communities. This engagement ranges from involving volunteers and interns to connecting with local neighbors, ensuring that the community is not only aware of but actively participates in PolyGone's initiatives. The committee will also explore strategies for transparently sharing the data collected by PolyGone with the public, fostering an environment of openness and trust, and in scoping out additional pilot sites and collaborating with other organizations. This expansion is aimed at amplifying the impact and reach of PolyGone's environmental efforts, thereby contributing significantly to broader ecological conservation and awareness efforts.
Project Team:
Nathaniel Banks, CTO of PolyGone Systems, PI
Yidian Liu, COO of PolyGone Systems, CO-PI
Jessica Kuonen, Hudson Estuary Resilience Specialist at NYSG, CO-PI
Advisory Committee Members:
Siddhartha Hayes, Research & Aquaria Manager, Hudson River Park Trust
Ryan Palmer, Director of CURB, Community Sampling Lead
Harry Hall, Research Science Teacher, Saunders Trades and Technical High School in Yonkers, NY
Staff from New York State Agencies
PROJECT TIMELINE
BROADER IMPACT
This program is intended to provide opportunities for early career professionals and young generations to engage in the water environment industry and to pay attention to our water environment, ecosystems, and the impact of emerging contaminants on human health. To provide cleaner and better water for our future generation, this program plays a significant role in attracting young talents to the water industry.
A CURB volunteer educates Yonkers students about water quality and the importance of protecting the river