MOUNT PLEASANT, S.C. (WCSC) — The Charleston Waterkeeper has opened a new Community Science Lab where volunteers can help monitor local water quality and microplastic pollution across 18 testing sites.
Participants observe how microplastics are identified in water samples under microscopes. Organizers say community-led monitoring creates data that can inform stormwater management, plastic-reduction efforts, and local policy.
Microplastics detected at all 18 sites
The lab has detected microplastic pollution at all 18 testing sites. Community members and local groups, including Free Fly Apparel, which visited the lab on Tuesday, are participating in efforts to prevent pollution and work toward solutions. Undergraduate students at the College of Charleston are also involved.
College of Charleston Associate Professor and environmental geoscientist Dr. Barbara Beckingham said public understanding of local waterways is critical.
“Microplastics are pervasive, sort of continuously being released into the environment from what we understand, they also are being sort of out in our waterways from larger plastic items,” Beckingham said.
She added that having the community help to increase the number of data scientists studying can make a huge impact.
Building a long-term data set
Community Science Manager Britney Prebis said the lab is working to fill gaps in existing research.
“There’s a gap in knowledge in long-term distributions and patterns and abundances of long periods of time, so what we’re doing is developing a comprehensive monitoring data set looking at sites that are around the Charleston watershed month-to-month and seeing how sites look over time and where it might warrant attention or action and understanding sources then as well,” Prebis said.
The Community Science Lab is open to the public. Click here for volunteer information.
Copyright 2026 WCSC. All rights reserved.