Water Resources Research Act Program

Details for Project ID SC_2023_Anderson

Integrating Alligator Tissues and Environmental Samples as Novel Matrices for Monitoring PFAS and Microplastic Contamination in South Carolina Wetlands

Institute: South Carolina
Year Established: 2023 Start Date: 2023-09-01 End Date: 2024-08-31
Total Federal Funds: $34,419 Total Non-Federal Funds: $35,554

Principal Investigators: James Anderson

Project Summary: Small plastic particles (microplastics) and associated forever contaminants (perfluorinated and polyfluorinated substances) pollute water. Alligators eat microplastics or prey items containing microplastics; the microplastics and chemicals bound to those plastics contaminate the alligators. We are studying forever chemicals and microplastics in alligators along coastal South Carolina waters to evaluate their potential as indicator species for these contaminants.