Jacob Braun, “Effect of High Density Polyethylene on Yellow Perch (Perca flavescens) through Water Exposure”
Mentor: Dong-Fang Deng, Freshwater Sciences

The use of plastics including high-density polyethylene (HDPE) has caused their proliferation throughout our ecosystem and waterways. Their effects are compounded by degradation over time and exposure to UV light creating mircoplastics (MP) 5mm long or smaller. Study of the effects of microplastics on fish in the Great Lakes region is limited. In the Great Lakes region, yellow perch are of value for both economic and ecological regions. This study was to determine the extent to which HDPE particle size and concentrations effect the survival and overall well-being of yellow perch larvae exposed to a MP-contaminated environment. Yellow perch larvae (46 days post hatch) were raised in jars filled with 1.5 liters of dechlorinated water with varying concentrations of HDPE (0, 125, 250, 500, and 1000 ppm) of two particle sizes (40-48 microns and 120-125 microns). There were two jars for each treatment and 8 fish in each jar. The jars were placed in a larger tank surrounded with temperature-controlled water to ensure a consistent temperature of 21°C for all treatments. Aeration of the treatments was provided by an air line connected to a glass pipette attached to the jar. The fish were fed 0.1g per meal and 3 meals daily. Thirty percent of water was exchanged daily with fresh made water. At the end of one week exposure, we did not observe significant difference in mortality and growth of yellow perch among all treatments (P>0.05). The overall feeding based on feed presented in the gastrointestinal tract tended to decrease in fish exposed to HPDE. The results of this experiment, however, were not conclusive due to the low sample size and limited replications. Future experiments will require larger sample sizes and more replications of each treatment, and extended exposure period may be needed to provide convincing results.