Microplastics in our environment: Concentration determination and characterization of microplastics in St. Lawrence River, native clam tissues and fecal matter

The purpose of this project was to determine the steady state concentration of microplastics in freshwater clams, collected from various aquatic bodies in upstate New York. The concentration of microplastic in clam soft tissue as well as in clam fecal matter was determined through the chemical digestion procedure that utilized in situ Fenton’s reagent to break down organic material. Results showed that the mass of clam soft tissues have a positive correlation with the amount of reagent that had to be added. It was concluded that larger clams have more organic materials that can de digested.