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ARS Home » Southeast Area » Oxford, Mississippi » National Sedimentation Laboratory » Water Quality and Ecology Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #430512
Research Project: Enhancing Long-Term Agroecosystem Sustainability of Water and Soil Resources Through Science and Technology

Location: Water Quality and Ecology Research

Title: Abundance and characteristics of microplastics in stormwater runoff from parking lots and roadways on a university campus

Author
item OLUBUSOYE, BOLUWATIFE - University Of Mississippi
item CIZDZIEL, JAMES - University Of Mississippi
item LI, RUOJIA - University Of Mississippi
item WONTOR, KENDALL - University Of Mississippi
item Moore, Matthew

Submitted to: Cleaner Water
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 2/8/2026
Publication Date: 2/12/2026
Citation: Olubusoye, B.S., Cizdziel, J.V., Li, R., Wontor, K., Moore, M.T. 2026. Abundance and characteristics of microplastics in stormwater runoff from parking lots and roadways on a university campus. Cleaner Water. 5:100220. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.clwat.2026.100220.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.clwat.2026.100220

Interpretive Summary: Microplastics are an emerging contaminant found in water, soil, animals, and humans. These tiny plastic fragments come from the breakdown of larger pieces of plastic from everything including disposable trash bags to irrigation polytubing. Studies are just now examining the extent of microplastic contamination, especially from tire wear particles on roadways. Ninety-one percent of the microplastic particles collected in this study ranged in size from a silt particle (30 micrometers) up to a typical grain of table salt (150 micrometers). By quantifying the amount and source of microplastics in runoff, specific management strategies can be developed to reduce potential harmful impacts.

Technical Abstract: The release and profile of microplastics (MPs) in surface runoff from parking lots and roadways are poorly understood. Here, we quantified and characterized MPs in runoff samples (n = 24) from the drainage outlets of two such areas at the University of Mississippi during two separate rain events. The samples were analyzed using a combination of optical microscopy and Fourier Transform Infrared micro-spectroscopy (µ-FTIR). MP concentrations (particles/L ± 1SE) at the onset of the storm event and after 30 minutes varied from 128 ± 114 to 8 ± 4 for the first event, and from 17.3 ± 3 to 6 ± 2.5 for the second event, respectively. Both rain events demonstrated the first flush phenomenon, where pollutants are readily washed from the surface in the early stages of runoff. Most of the particles (91%) ranged between 30-150 µm in size, with 30 µm being the lowest size measured. Irregular particles were dominant (50%), followed by spherical particles (32%) and fibers (18%). The top ten most abundant types of MPs detected were acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (12%), polycarbonate (12%), polyurethane (11%), polymethyl methacrylate (10%), polyethylene terephthalate (8%), polyvinyl chloride (7%), ethylene vinyl acetate (6%), ethylene propylene (6%), polyamide (5%) and polyacrylamide (4%). Sources of MPs include plastic litter that has weathered and fragmented and road wear particles that can include reflective coatings. Overall, these findings suggest that parking lots and roadways significantly contribute to MP pollution in runoff, and their chemical analyses can offer insight into their origins.