Everett Community College
Spring 2024 Quarter (12 weeks)
PI: Dr. Frederick Dooley
Funding awarded through Everett Community College course-based undergraduate research experience (CURE)
Everett Community College Department of Biology
*won 2nd place at the school-wide science fair poster symposium*
One of the many environmental concerns in recent years is surrounding the use of disposable plastic products, which ultimately result in the dreaded “Microplastic”. Microplastics are of great concern because they are not biodegradable, causing a considerable health risk for humans worldwide (US Department of Commerce). Microplastics are being found in our water, food, vitamin supplements, skincare products, clothing, and even human tissues such as the placenta and umbilical cord. Microplastic frequency has been seen to affect cancer rates, fertility, dementia, digestion, and liver disease. By studying our local ecosystems and wildlife, we can begin to understand how microplastics effect the world around us, and what we can do to change it. To study how prevalent microplastics are in our freshwater ecosystems, we chose the Asian Clam (Corbicula fluminea) as our model species. This is because clams are “filter feeders” meaning they suck water through their bodies, filtering out algae and other microfauna as food. If there are Microplastics in a body of water, these clams will likely have some in their stomachs (Mercogliano, Raffaelina, et al.). We collected specimens from two (2) freshwater lakes; Lake Cavanaugh and Flowing Lake. Using qualitative and quantitative analysis we were able to isolate some degree of Microplastics in all samples we collected.