Cathy CUR, Plastic its Everywhere!!

Over the past few weeks I have been working on developing my method, and locating plastic in the sediment samples. My method has come along way I have learned that when I am wet sieveing the samples I need to only sieve a small amount about 200mL at a time, to reduce the smallest sieve (75um) from clogging. I have also determined my sampling locations, a natural out fall and a man made outfall. My natural out fall is in Spruce Creek by the south bridge, and my man made is in the Canal st canal in New Symera Beach.

Scanning Electron Microscope of the yellow stuff

Once I sieved the sample from the Canal St location, I took a sample of the sample and viewed it under a microscope. As I begun looking at my sample I stated noticing a high amount of yellow particles about 100 flecks in about a teaspoon sample. Every time I tried to isolate the yellow stuff from the rest of the sample or remove it, the yellow stuff would crumble. But I did manage to isolate some of the yellow stuff. So once I got what I felt was enough about 0.001g, I sent it off with Paul to analyze it with the scanning electron microscope. The chemical makeup of the stuff showed that it contained high amounts of silica, and calcium. So far the more I look at the Canal St sample under the microscope the more plastic I find.

Plastic found so far in the Canal St sample

More Fun to come, I do have my Spruce Creek sample sieved I plan on investigating it in the coming week. I am also meeting with Paul to gain a better understanding of the yellow stuff, and I plan on exploring down town New Symera in search of where the yellow stuff would come from.