Microplastics: A Growing Threat in Local Lakes
Science Pub | Registration opens 9/24/2025 7:00 AM EDT
Microplastics have emerged as a significant ecological threat due to their persistence and widespread distribution in marine, freshwater, and terrestrial ecosystems. These particles can be ingested by a wide range of organisms, disrupting food webs, impairing growth and reproduction, and potentially transferring toxins up the food chain. This discussion will be focused on work being done at Colby-Sawyer to measure the rate of microplastic accumulation in rural New England lakes using sediment cores.
- Doors open at 5 PM. Presentation begins at 6 PM. Dinner and drinks available for purchase at Galligan's Pub. As always, pre-registration is necessary.
Jim Killarney
CSC Assistant Professor, School of Arts & Sciences
Jim’s research interests are focused on water quality and understanding how chemical pollution affects both humans and wildlife, for which he has had research grants from Maine Technology Institute, Up East Foundation, NASA Main Space Grant Consortium and the State of Maine Department of Environmental Protection. He is currently developing methods that can rapidly and inexpensively measure chemicals in both water and animals after they have been exposed. For instance, he is focused on measuring microplastic contamination in freshwater systems, lead in waterfowl and water quality using images from unmanned aerial vehicles (drones). He has also developed water "fingerprinting" methods using fluorescence spectroscopy and chemometric tools to quantify pharmaceutical pollutants in water.