Microplastics in Rivers With Professor Jamie Woodward

Jamie Woodward is a professor of Physical Geography at The University of Manchester where he leads a group exploring microplastic contamination in rivers. He is a geomorphologist – his research examines environmental change and how people interact with rivers from the Nile Valley to the River Mersey.

In this Teach Me in 10, you will learn:

• That river beds can be heavily contaminated with microplastics
• Why monitoring microplastic contamination on river beds is important
• How microplastics accumulate on river beds in high concentrations
• Microplastic assemblages can be used to identify poor wastewater practice
• Why effective wastewater treatment is key to protecting river ecosystems and how ocean currents transport microplastics to the Arctic

For more information on this work, you can check out:

• Animation highlighting the impact of this research
• Article in Research Features 
• Publication in Nature Sustainability
• Microplastics: What Do We Know About This Emerging Contaminant?
• Microplastic Detection