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The DOI matches its Crossref record; 11 of the 11 references it cites were found in a registry or an index.

Microplastic is an Abundant and Distinct Microbial Habitat in an Urban River

Open access
McCormick, Amanda, Hoellein, Timothy J., Mason, Sherri A., Schluep, Joseph, Kelly, John J.·2014·Environmental Science & Technology

Abstract

Recent research has documented microplastic particles (< 5 mm in diameter) in ocean habitats worldwide and in the Laurentian Great Lakes. Microplastic interacts with biota, including microorganisms, in these habitats, raising concerns about its ecological effects. Rivers may transport microplastic to marine habitats and the Great Lakes, but data on microplastic in rivers is limited. In a highly urbanized river in Chicago, Illinois, USA, we measured concentrations of microplastic that met or exceeded those measured in oceans and the Great Lakes, and we demonstrated that wastewater treatment plant effluent was a point source of microplastic. Results from high-throughput sequencing showed that bacterial assemblages colonizing microplastic within the river were less diverse and were significantly different in taxonomic composition compared to those from the water column and suspended organic matter. Several taxa that include plastic decomposing organisms and pathogens were more abundant on microplastic. These results demonstrate that microplastic in rivers are a distinct microbial habitat and may be a novel vector for the downstream transport of unique bacterial assemblages. In addition, this study suggests that urban rivers are an overlooked and potentially significant component of the global microplastic life cycle.

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Metadata

Authors
McCormick, A., Hoellein, T. J., Mason, S. A., Schluep, J., & Kelly, J. J.
Venue
Environmental Science & Technology
Published
2014-10-06
Volume
48
Issue
20
Pages
11863-11871
ISSN
  • 0013-936X (ISSN-L)
  • 1520-5851
OpenAlex
W2318716851
Cited by
1,483
References
11
FWCI
25.79
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
green

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CoChat. (2026). Citation check: Microplastic is an Abundant and Distinct Microbial Habitat in an Urban River. https://app.cochat.ai/papers/10.1021/es503610r
The paper
McCormick, A., Hoellein, T. J., Mason, S. A., Schluep, J., & Kelly, J. J. (2014). Microplastic is an Abundant and Distinct Microbial Habitat in an Urban River. Environmental Science & Technology. https://doi.org/10.1021/es503610r

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