Microplastics Found Throughout Delaware River In NJ, Threatening Watershed Health

NEW JERSEY — In a study conducted over the past few years by the Delaware River Basin Commission (DRBC), microplastics were discovered in all 15 locations in the Delaware River watershed that were tested.

Microplastics, which are minute pieces of plastic, are present in even the deepest oceans, the most distant ice shelves, and even drinking water.

The study found that tiny fibers of rayon, polyester and other man-made fibers are present throughout the Delaware River Estuary and its tributaries.

“They were found in every sample and in every stream in every segment of the river,” said Jake Bransky, an aquatic biologist with the DRBC, a federal and interstate agency that manages the river. “So they are definitely pervasive.”

The Delaware River Basin Commission collected samples between 2019 and 2021 at 15 locations in the Delaware estuary between Trenton and the C&D Canal.

The samples all contained microplastics, though the amounts varied depending on the site and sampling technique.

Along its 330-mile course, the river provides drinking water to 13 million people, including some in New Jersey. However, filters remove the majority of microplastics from drinking water.

Despite the fact that microplastics are still being discovered in seafood, tap water, and bottled water, little is known about how they may affect human health.

The largest concentrations of microplastics, which are typically about the size of a sesame seed, were found in Rancocas Creek in New Jersey. The material that was present in 90 percent of the samples and by far the most prevalent was a fiber that resembled synthetic fleece fiber.

Other New Jersey sampling locations included Cooper River in Camden County, which showed by far the highest concentration of microplastics based on sampling with a net, and Mantua Creek, a Delaware River tributary in Gloucester County, where 100 percent of the microplastics were fiber.

“Our research, which revealed microplastics at all 15 sampling locations in three states, provides a vital first step in better understanding and managing this contaminant of emerging concern,” Bransky said.

What is a microplastic?

Microplastics are particles with a diameter of less than 5 millimeters or about the size of a sesame seed. They come in a variety of forms, including fibers, pellets, beads, foams, films and fragments. According to the DRBC, they enter the water via litter, stormwater, wastewater, the air and buoy and boat breakdowns.

Microplastics continue to degrade, eventually reaching the nanoscale and entering the food web, where they can be consumed by fish and birds.

However, the consequences of this have not been thoroughly researched. But nevertheless, it is believed that they can interfere with reproduction, cause biological stress and can even increase the transfer of toxic chemicals to aquatic species.

The project builds on previous research on microplastics in various parts of the Delaware River. Scientists are constructing a more coherent picture of the extent of microplastic pollution in the river basin using the new data, which covers the river's tidal section, according to Bransky.

Before a recent news conference, commission officials filled four large trash bags with mostly plastic debris gathered from the riverbank to demonstrate the extent of the problem.

The volume of plastic trash gathered in just 30 minutes demonstrates the need for consumers to reduce their purchase of single-use plastics like bottles and straws, as well as clean them up if they have been discarded by others, according to Bransky.

“Information on microplastic concentrations can be used by local watershed groups like TTF to target cleanup efforts in high-plastic watersheds like Tookany/Tacony-Frankford Creek. Reducing and removing plastics before they break down limits microplastics entering our shared waterways and public water supplies and supports fish and wildlife,” said Julie Slavet, Executive Director of the Tookany/Tacony-Frankford Watershed Partnership.

Consider doing the following to conserve water and reduce plastic waste to help with the growing problem:

• Use a refillable coffee mug
• Use a refillable water bottle
• Reusable bags
• Say “no thanks” to the straw (or BYO)
• BYO carryout containers
• Participate in volunteer cleanup efforts in your local watershed