Researchers at the University of British Columbia (UBC) and environmental technology firm Ocean Diagnostics have launched a field study to track microplastic pollution in the Fraser River. By combining automated depth-sampling hardware with numerical simulations, the project aims to identify where these synthetic particles accumulate in British Columbia’s vital waterways.
Moving Beyond Surface-Level Detection
For years, microplastic research has concentrated heavily on the surface of water systems under the assumption that these synthetic particles are light enough to float. Reality, however, presents a different physical challenge. According to UBC biochemical engineering researcher Dr. Mona Rahmani, microplastics are sticky and frequently bind to heavy sediment components like sand and silt.
This natural agglomeration weighs the particles down, driving them into deeper sections of the water column and eventually into river and ocean beds. To capture accurate data under these turbulent conditions, the research team is deploying a specialized piece of field hardware.
Hardware Deployment in Complex Estuaries
Gathering reliable telemetry in the Fraser River and the Strait of Georgia requires robust equipment capable of handling variable currents and turbid waters. The team is utilizing a 22-pound portable and automated microplastics depth-sampling instrument called Ascension, developed by Ocean Diagnostics.
The device operates down to 400 meters in the water column, allowing engineers and scientists to map concentrations across multiple strata rather than relying on surface snapshots. As noted by Dr. Rahmani, “In theory, microplastics are light and should float, so a lot of research has been done at the surface of the water. In reality, they are quite sticky and attach to other particles, like sand and heavy silt particles, that weigh them down. This causes microplastics to sink to deeper depths. Our hypothesis is that microplastics end up in the sediment of rivers and oceans. We need to test this in the environment by sampling the concentration of microplastics at different depths.”
Connecting Field Data With Numerical Modeling
Collecting physical samples is only the first phase of the operational pipeline. The field data gathered by Ascension is fed directly into computer simulations designed to map particle settling behaviors in turbulence. This numerical modeling expertise comes from UBC’s Faculty of Applied Science, where researchers are working to bridge the gap between observation and prediction.
“This project connects what we see in the field with what we can predict through modelling. That means we can move beyond simply detecting microplastics and begin identifying where they come from, how they travel and where interventions will have the greatest impact,” Dr. Rahmani explained.
Following field collection, samples are sent to Ocean Diagnostics’ microplastics testing laboratory. There, technicians analyze the physical abundance and specific polymer types. This information contributes to broader monitoring efforts, including work alongside the National Research Council of Canada.
The Broader Impact on Waterway Remediation
Microplastics enter the Fraser River and surrounding aquatic ecosystems through a variety of everyday pathways, including laundry discharge, wastewater treatment plants, storm runoff, and industrial operations. Once introduced, these particles threaten aquatic life and infiltrate the human food chain.
Despite the ubiquity of the pollution, defining targeted regulatory frameworks remains difficult due to fundamental knowledge gaps. According to UBC researcher Dr. Johan Foster, “Microplastics are everywhere, but our ability to act is limited by a basic knowledge gap: we still do not know where they accumulate, how they move or which parts of our waterways are most at risk. That is what this work is designed to change.”
By pairing advanced automated depth-sampling technology with predictive computer models, the UBC and Ocean Diagnostics collaboration aims to deliver the empirical data required for effective environmental intervention.
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