Marilena Flory

Temporal accumulation of microplastics in soils – a glacial chronosequence approach

This Master’s thesis investigates microplastic concentrations and characteristics in soils from the glacial forefield of Gepatschferner in Ötztal Alps, Austria. This work aims to improve the understanding of how microplastics accumulate in soil over time. To achieve this, a chronosequence approach is used, comparing soils that have been exposed for different lengths of time because of the deglaciation. With the ongoing retreat of the glacier new surfaces are exposed, providing a suitable framework to study long term accumulation of microplastic under natural conditions.

Supervisor: Dr. Collin J. Weber & Prof. Dr. Moritz Bigalke