Raining Plastics: Quantification of Atmospheric Deposition of Plastic and Anthropogenic Particles into an Estuary of National Significance with the Assistance of Citizen Scientists

Authors, or, Principal Investigator(s)

• Linda Walters, University of Central FloridaFollow
• Madison Serrate, University of Central FloridaFollow
• Tara Blanchard, University of Central FloridaFollow
• Paul Sacks, University of Central FloridaFollow
• Fnu Joshua, University of Central FloridaFollow
• Lei Zhai, University of Central FloridaFollow

Keywords

microplastics, Indian River Lagoon, Mosquito Lagoon, Florida, precipitation, rain, air pollution

Description

Data associated with a citizen science atmospheric deposition microplastic project focused on the Indian River Lagoon along Florida's east coast.

Data Source

This data is associated with the publication entitled, "Raining Plastics: Quantification of Atmospheric Deposition of Plastic and Anthropogenic Particles into an Estuary of National Significance with the Assistance of Citizen Scientists". 

Abstract

Globally, little is known about the dispersal of microplastics (MP) and anthropogenic particles (AP) via atmospheric deposition (AD) into water bodies. Correlating AD to the large number of MP in estuaries is challenging but an important first step toward reducing this form of pollution. A previously published model of the surface waters of the Indian River Lagoon (IRL, east central coast of Florida, USA) estimated it contained 1.4 trillion microplastics. To determine if AD could produce this much plastic deposition, we deployed passive AD collectors throughout a 145 km2 area at three site types with assistance from citizen scientists. We predicted that the rate of deposition of MP and AP would be greatest in residential areas, intermediate within a national park, and lowest on intertidal oyster reefs. Moreover, we predicted Florida’s wet season and individual rain events would increase deposition based on the published literature. Over 14 months, deposition averaged 1224 MP/m2/d; extrapolated, this yields 1.1 trillion MP for the lagoon-wide total deposition estimate (95% CI: 0.86–1.39 trillion MP). This value suggests that AD may represent an important pathway for MP to enter this estuary. More MP were deposited during rain events and in the wet season, with no differences among sites. Overall, our results provide important data for understanding AD of MP and AP in estuaries.

Date Created

2026

Release Date

2026

Document Type

Data

Identifier

microplastics, Indian River Lagoon, Florida

Granting Agency

Indian River Lagoon National Estuary Program

Award Number

2024SG-06

Rights

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

Notes

The associated publication can be found at: https://doi.org/10.3390/environments12110424

College

College of Sciences

Department

Biology, Chemistry

Recommended Citation

Walters, Linda; Serrate, Madison; Blanchard, Tara; Sacks, Paul; Joshua, Fnu; and Zhai, Lei, "Raining Plastics: Quantification of Atmospheric Deposition of Plastic and Anthropogenic Particles into an Estuary of National Significance with the Assistance of Citizen Scientists" (2026). Research Data and Datasets. 33.
https://stars.library.ucf.edu/datasets/33