# microplastic-methods-metaanalysis
Data and code repository for the meta-analysis paper titled *What You Net Depends on if You Grab: A Meta-analysis of Sampling Method’s Impact on Measured Aquatic Microplastic Concentration*<br>
This README.md file was created on 2021-04-21 by Lisa Watkins.<br>
## General Information
**Title of Dataset**<br>
"microplastic-methods-metaanalysis"<br>
**Brief Dataset Description**
This repository was created to provide access to the data collected in the field and across the literature, as well as the analysis code, used for the paper by Watkins et al. titled, *What You Net Depends on if You Grab: A Meta-analysis of Sampling Method’s Impact on Measured Aquatic Microplastic Concentration* published in [Environmental Science & Technology](https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.est.1c03019).<br>
These Literature review data may contain errors. I encourage you to use the tables in `corestudies` and `pairedstudies` as references, and refer to the original papers, linked for each row, for reputable, error-free data.
**Dataset Contact Information**<br>
Name: Lisa Watkins<br>
Institution: Cornell University, Department of Biological & Environmental Engineering<br>
Address: 111 Wing Drive, Ithaca, New York, 14853, USA<br>
Email: ltw35 at cornell dot edu<br>
Role: author, maintainer<br>
**Date of Data Collection**<br>
Field data collection took place in Fall of 2016 and Fall of 2017. <br>
Literature review was conducted between June & October 2020, with a few additional papers added during winter 2020. <br>
**Geographic location of data collection**<br>
Field data was collected in perennial streams near Ithaca, New York.<br>
Literature review data were collected for studies of surface water microplastics worldwide. These data were collected via [Google Scholar](scholar.google.com)<br>
**Information about funding sources that supported the collection of the data**<br>
Lisa Watkins was supported by [National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship Program](https://www.nsfgrfp.org/) grant No. 2017228528.<br>
## Sharing & Access Information ##
**Licenses/restrictions placed on the data**<br>
We ask that you please cite this work if you choose to use or share our data. (See [CITATION.md](https://github.com/ltw35/microplastic-methods-metaanalysis/blob/master/CITATION.md) for recommended citation). You may use/distribute freely. (See [Creative Commons - CC0 1.0 Universal](https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/) for a full explanation). <br>
**Links to publications that cite or use the data**<br>
As of 2021-04-21 there are no other publications that cite or use these data.<br>
**Links to other publicly accessible locations of the data**<br>
These data and the associated code are available at https://github.com/ltw35/microplastic-methods-metaanalysis. The associated publication is available in [Environmental Science and Technology](https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.est.1c03019). Please get in touch if you have trouble accessing the full-text. I am happy to share a copy directly.<br>
**Links/relationships to ancillary data**<br>
No ancillary data are associated with this paper.
**Data derived from another source**<br>
Field data was collected specifically for this study. Average values for it are included in the file `pairedstudies`. Site-specific data, including stream velocity, is included in `fieldsamples`. <br>
Literature review data were collected through Google Scholar web searches. The file `corestudies` contains doi references to each publication included in the analysis, as does `pairedstudies` for the few studies not otherwise included in the overall literature analysis.<br>
**Additional related data collected that was not included in the current data package**<br>
Some more specific data related to the field samples (including particle type, counts from individual counters, and particle color) are available by request.<br>
**Are there multiple versions of the dataset?**<br>
There are no other versions of the data associated with this paper.
**Recommended citation for the data**<br>
The recommended citation for these data and the code is available in [CITATION.md](https://github.com/ltw35/microplastic-methods-metaanalysis/blob/master/CITATION.md).
**Paper Availability**<br>
The paper associated with these data and the code is available from [Environmental Science and Technology](https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.est.1c03019). Please get in touch if you have trouble accessing the full-text. I am happy to share a copy directly.<br>
## Methodological Information ##
**Description of methods used for collection/generation of data:**<br>
1. Field methods: At a given time and location within the several streams in the Ithaca, New York area, a 1-4L grab sample and a 10 minute net sample were collected in sequence. Grab samples were subsequently rinsed through the same mesh (0.335mm) as made up the net (larger particles retained). Wet peroxide oxidataion, density separation, and visual identification were used to extract and identify particles within the sample. Multiple counters were used to validate counts for each sample. FTIR was used on a subset of particles to confirm the accuracy of visual counts. Blank samples composed of deionized water were run through all lab equipement. Additional blanks were composed of filter paper left out in the laboratory space for 24 hour periods. The average cumulative blank value was subtracted from all sample counts before concentrations were included in analysis.<br>
2. Literature review methods: Google Scholar searches were performed for the following words: “microplastic” + “surface water”, along with (individually) “net”, “pump”, “bulk”, “discrete” and “grab”. All resulting papers that sampled within the top 1m of a waterbody and reported volume sampled or a means of calculating it were included in the subsequent analysis. Additionally three additional studies that did not meet all above criteria, but compared pairs of differing-method samples and contained sufficient detail for a paired-sample analysis were identified and included in `pairedstudies`.<br>
**Methods for processing the data:**<br>
*What constitutes a row in `corestudies`:* For studies that sampled multiple waterbodies or used multiple methods, results were included for each unique combination of method and waterbody-type. For example, if multiple rivers in a region were sampled with the same method, those rivers' results were averaged, while the results of pumping and net methods on a single river were considered separate entries.<br>
*How values (e.g. average concentration or volume) were determined for `corestudies`:* Values in a study's main paper were taken over those included in its supplementary materials. If values were given for individual samples, they were averaged for `corestudies`. If multiple averages were given in the paper, but a given row was a combination of sample groups, the averages from the paper were averaged for `corestudies`.<br>
*How complete is the dataset?* Only data that was freely available in the paper, supplementary materials, or a linked dataset were included (no authors were contacted for additional data). Additionally, if methods or results were not understandable, I've omitted them. If methods or results were slightly unclear, I've made a best guess. Because of the potential for errors in transcription, I encourage these datasets to be used as reference, and original papers (linked for each row in a given table) to be accessed for data validation to avoid any error propagation in future works.<br>
**Instrument- or software-specific information needed to interpret the data:**<br>
Data processing and analysis was done in R (version 1.3.1093) uing RStudio Desktop. All R packages used are listed at the top of the code file that utilizes them.
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# To best use this data, run code as an *RStudio Project*. To do so, download this r