Committee Chair

Bathi; Jejal Reddy

Committee Member

Fomunung, Ignatius; Owino, Joseph; Wu, Weidong

Department

Dept. of Civil and Chemical Engineering

College

College of Engineering and Computer Science

Publisher

University of Tennessee at Chattanooga

Place of Publication

Chattanooga (Tenn.)

Abstract

Microplastics (MPs) have become a growing environmental concern, particularly in urban areas where anthropogenic activities intensify their presence in ecosystems. This research investigates MPs’ distribution, fate, and transport in urban environments, focusing on stormwater retention (SWR) ponds, bioretention systems (BRS), and saturated porous media. Field studies analyzed MPs in freshwater sediments of SWR ponds across residential, educational, and mixed urban land-use types, identifying distinct contamination patterns. Vertical distribution analyses in bioretention media highlighted the potential of BRS as a green infrastructure for retaining MPs. Laboratory experiments further explored MPs’ transport and retention in saturated porous media, examining the effects of key physicochemical properties such as ionic strength (IS) and pH. Findings revealed how environmental conditions influence MPs’ mobility and retention. This research contributes valuable insights into MPs’ behavior, distribution, transport, and potential mitigation strategies, advancing understanding of their role in urban pollution and their interaction with green infrastructure systems.

Acknowledgments

This research was sponsored by the United States Geological Survey (USGS), Grant No. #G21AP10627-02.

Degree

M. S.; A thesis submitted to the faculty of the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga in partial fulfillment of the requirements of the degree of Master of Science.

Date

5-2025

Subject

Microplastics--Toxicology; Porous materials; Storm water retention basins; Urban pollution

Keyword

Microplastics; Ecosystems; Abundance; Transport; Stormwater infrastructures; Porous media

Document Type

Masters theses

DCMI Type

Text

Extent

xvi, 98 leaves

Language

English

Rights

http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/

License

http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

Date Available

1-1-2026

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Available for download on Thursday, January 01, 2026

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