The Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy (EGLE) invites you to participate as a presenter at the Great Lakes Microplastics Summit taking place October 7-8, 2026, as a virtual event.
Participants may include scientists, professionals, policymakers, and community members.
EGLE will be selecting up to 24 abstracts among the submissions and will notify presenters in July 2026. All presenters will receive a complimentary Summit registration.
Presentation Abstract Submission Guidelines
Abstract submission deadline: 11:59 PM, May 24, 2026.
Abstract Title: Limited to 12 words.
Abstract Length: Limited to 300 words.
Presentations should be at least 30 minutes, and not more than 40 minutes, in length. Longer presentations should be submitted as two separate presentations of equal length (e.g., Part 1 and Part 2) .
Sessions will be hosted in Zoom. Acceptable presentation formats are PowerPoint (.ppt) or Adobe Acrobat (.pdf). Sessions will be recorded and made available after the event.
Conference sessions will include the topic areas shown below. Please review the topics to consider the category where your presentation would best fit. Authors may suggest additional topics that are not on the list, but they must fit a general topic area related to PFAS.
TOPIC AREAS
Fate and Transport
- Environmental distribution of microplastics
Distribution in surface waters, sediments, terrestrial ecosystems, and biota factoring in microplastic size, age, composition, etc. - Fate of microplastics in the environment
Where these microplastics may end up in the environment and the factors that may affect where they end up and the mechanisms of how they get there. - Transport of microplastics in the environment
Factors that would affect the way microplastics move in the environment and what environmental mechanisms move microplastics in the environment.
Human Health
Research on the potential effects of microplastics on human health and humans’ exposure to microplastics. This includes research on potential risk assessment methodologies. Topics may include, but are not limited to:
- Morphological effects
- Chemical effects
- Microplastics as vectors of other environmental effects
Sampling and Analysis Methods
Research/information on sampling and analysis methods for microplastics on drinking water and surface water media (lakes, streams, sediments), wastewater, soils, biosolids etc. Analysis methods including but not limited to:
- FTIR/O-PTIR
- Raman Spectroscopy
- Py-GCMS
- Othe
Drinking water and microplastics
- Research on the presence, transport, and distribution of microplastics in drinking water.
- Regulatory approaches for drinking water
- Drinking water treatment successes and potential for more of these based on what we know now
Ecological health
Research on exposure and ecotoxicity of microplastics to aquatic and terrestrial organisms in the environment.
- Risk assessment and methodologies
- Bioaccumulation/Biomagnification
- Organismal health effects including physical and chemical effects
- Microplastics as vectors of other environmental effects.
Minimization/Mitigation/Treatment
- Minimization and mitigation strategies to prevent microplastics from getting into the environment.
- Treatment technologies to remove microplastics from various media
- Information around source control and circular economy and their impact to plastics and microplastics in the environment.
Regulation/Legislation
- Regulatory approaches related to microplastics in drinking water, wastewater, surface water, and other plastic related topics. Implemented and proposed legislative strategies.