Publication Date

8-2024

Advisor(s) - Committee Chair

Chris Groves, Pat Kambesis, Michael May

Degree Program

Department of Earth, Environmental, and Atmospheric Sciences

Degree Type

Master of Science

Abstract

Groundwater in karst areas is susceptible to contamination from various sources of pollution. Microplastics are a prevalent source of pollution entering groundwater. This study examines karst groundwater in three areas of investigation. One point of interest is an area that is impacted by urban activities, the Lost River Groundwater Basin, which includes water drainage from the City of Bowling Green, Kentucky. Another study location is Great Onyx (GO) Spring, which is a part of the Great Onyx Groundwater Basin located in Mammoth Cave National Park, Kentucky, and that is relatively unimpacted by urban activities. The third point of interest is Biz Falls, which is located within Great Onyx Cave upstream from the spring representing a relatively pristine area in comparison to urban areas. This research sought to understand the distribution and characterization of microplastic in karst groundwater. This study utilized water grab sampling to collect two liters from each site each month from September 2023 through February 2024. Discharge, pH, water temperature, and specific conductance measurements were also conducted during sampling. This study quantified and described microplastic contamination at each site. In total Lost River Rise had a total of 278 microplastic fragments detected, whereas GO Spring and Biz Falls had a total of 286 and 260 microplastics, respectively. These results indicate that the sampled karst areas, including within a relatively pristine part of Mammoth Cave National Park, are vulnerable to microplastic pollution. Results of this study of three areas demonstrates the apparent ease with which microplastics can be transported through the environment via surface water and groundwater in karst regions.

Disciplines

Earth Sciences | Environmental Monitoring | Environmental Sciences | Fresh Water Studies | Hydrology | Oceanography and Atmospheric Sciences and Meteorology | Physical Sciences and Mathematics

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