Article

Microplastic contamination in benthic organisms from the Arctic and sub-Arctic regions

Authors:
  • Third Institute of Oceanography Ministry of Natural Resources China
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Abstract

The seafloor is recognized as one of the major sinks for microplastics (MPs). However, to date there have been no studies reported the MP contamination in benthic organisms from the Arctic and sub-Arctic regions. Therefore, this study provided the first data on the abundances and characteristics of MPs in a total of 413 dominant benthic organisms representing 11 different species inhabiting in the shelf of Bering and Chukchi Seas. The mean abundances of MP uptake by the benthos from all sites ranged from 0.02 to 0.46 items g-1 wet weight (ww) or 0.04-1.67 items individual-1, which were lower values than those found in other regions worldwide. The highest value appeared at the northernmost site, implying that the sea ice and the cold current represent possible transport mediums. Interestingly, the predator A. rubens ingested the maximum quantities of MPs, suggesting that the trophic transfer of MPs through benthic food webs may play a critical role. Fibers constituted the major type (87%) in each species, followed by film (13%). The colors of fibers were classified as red (46%) and transparent (41%), and the film was all gray. The predominant composition was polyamide (PA) (46%), followed by polyethylene (PE) (23%), polyester (PET) (18%) and cellophane (CP) (13%). The most common sizes of MPs concentrated in the interval from 0.10 to 1.50 mm, and the mean size was 1.45 ± 0.13 mm. Further studies about the temporal trends and detrimental effects of MPs remain to be carried out in benthic organisms from the Arctic and sub-Arctic regions.

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... Items mean size (μm) X ± s.d. Furthermore, a study in Arctic benthic organisms showed a similar abundance of debris compared to our organisms (0.17-0.87 it/ind) (Fang et al., 2018). Broadly, our results suggest that Johnsons' Bay bivalves present MD, in lower abundances than other Antarctic marine organisms. ...
... From the items found here, the main particle size fraction was up to 500 μm, in line with studied bivalves from polar and non-polar regions (Bom and Sá, 2021;González-Aravena et al., 2024). The most common MD found were fibres, in agreement with what is commonly found in the oceans and in marine organisms (Fang et al., 2018;Sfriso et al., 2020;Bom and Sá, 2021;Zhang, S. et al., 2022c). Blue and black fibres were predominant, like also seen in a study on whelks and a bivalve in King George, and within Antarctic and sub-Antarctic surface water (Jones--Williams et al., 2020;Bergami et al., 2023;González-Aravena et al., 2024). ...
... When comparing different feeding types in the Arctic, concentrations of MD were higher in a starfish (A. rubens), which is a predator, than in bivalves, which are filter-feeders, whereas in Antarctica filter-feeders (bivalves) and grazers (gastropod) had higher abundances of MD than omnivores and predators (Fang et al., 2018;Sfriso et al., 2020). The bivalves in Johnson's Bay have the same feeding type, being filter-feeders, although Aequiyoldia eigthsii is both a suspension and a deposit feeder (Davenport, 1988). ...
... Analysis of MPs in the leaf and stilt root of mangrove For isolating MPs, the leaves and roots of mangrove tree were washed with Milli-Q® water and cut in to small pieces followed by treatment with 10% KOH at 40˚C for 48 hrs (Fang et al. 2018). When the solution became clear and yellow, digestion was considered as complete and the solution was diluted with warm Milli-Q® water in 1:10 ratio. ...
... NaCl and H 2 O 2 were pre-ltered through 1.2µm lter prior to use. For isolating MPs, the carapace was washed thoroughly with Milli-Q® water and cut into small pieces followed by treatment with 10% KOH at 40˚C for 48 hrs (Fang et al. 2018). When the solution became clear and yellow, digestion was considered as complete and the solution was diluted with warm Milli-Q® water in 1:10 ratio. ...
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Mangroves serving as interfaces between land and sea, function as significant filtration and interception systems for environmental microplastics (MPs). The structural complexity of mangrove roots enhances their trapping potential, making them prospective sinks for plastics. MPs have a strong affinity for mangrove leaves due to their lipophilic surface, temporarily accumulating MPs from both air and water. Brachyuran crabs, the core processors of mangrove litter can ingest MPs bound to leaves, potentially transferring them through the food chain to apex predators. Currently, studies from isolated mangrove islands are lacking. So, we conducted a holistic study examining MPs within multiple ecosystem components of an isolated mangrove island including water, sediment, leaves, stilt root and fallen leaves of mangrove as well as body parts of three species of mangrove crabs along southwest coast of India. Scanning electron microscopy with energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy was carried out to confirm the suspected MPs in root and leaf. MPs were detected in water, sediment, fallen leaves and crabs. Abundance of MPs in water and sediment was 5.42 ± 0.2 particles/L and 400 ± 86 particles/Kg respectively, with the size range > 350 µ. Fallen leaves showed an abundance of 0.062 ± 0.054 particles/cm ² . A higher abundance of MPs was observed in the gastro-intestinal tract of mangrove crabs. Fibre was the dominant morphotype in all components, revealing trophic transfer from water and sediment to crabs via fallen leaves and direct ingestion. The findings indicate that even isolated mangrove islands serve as repositories for MPs, affecting the mangrove food chain.
... Following the level of plastic production and release, six main categories of polymers (Dehaut et al., 2016) emerge among the others, these include: polypropylene (PP), high and low density polyethylene (HDPE and LDPE), polyvinyl chloride (PVC), polyurethane (PUR), polyethylene terephthalate (PET) and polystyrene (PS). Recent reports have assessed the ubiquitous presence of MP in various environmental matrices from remote sparsely populated regions of the globe such as the poles to remote lakes and deserts (Munari et al., 2017;Fang et al., 2018;Peng et al., 2018;Zhang et al., 2019;Sfriso et al., 2020;Abbasi et al., 2021). Following processes of fragmentation, fouling and flocculation, ingestion and egestion by biota, MP eventually became negatively buoyant, settling on the seabed (Porter et al., 2018). ...
... Microplastics are pervasive contaminants, detected across many environments including the atmosphere, mountain lakes, freshwater bodies, terrestrial lands, deep oceans, and polar regions (Munari et al., 2017;Fang et al., 2018;Free et al., 2014;Gasperi et al., 2015;Horton et al., 2017;Van Cauwenberghe et al., 2013). Small MP often resemble small food particles and interact with organisms often leading to ingestion by a wide array of aquatic fauna (Wang et al., 2019) and recent field studies focusing on invertebrate benthic trophic chains suggested that biomagnification and accumulation of MP are unlikely to occur toward predators (Bour et al., 2018;Setälä et al., 2016;Sfriso et al., 2020), conversely, filter feeders and grazers, at the lowest trophic levels, exhibited the highest concentrations of MP per individual. ...
Article
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Microplastic (MP) pollution poses a global concern, especially for benthic invertebrates. This one-month study investigated the accumulation of small MP polymers (polypropylene and polyester resin, 3-500 μm, 250 μg L − 1) in benthic invertebrates and on one alga species. Results revealed species-specific preferences for MP size and type, driven by ingestion, adhesion, or avoidance behaviours. Polyester resin accumulated in Mytilus gallopro-vincialis, Chamelea gallina, Hexaplex trunculus, and Paranemonia cinerea, while polypropylene accumulated on Ulva rigida. Over time, MP accumulation decreased in count but not size, averaging 6.2 ± 5.0 particles per individual after a month. MP were mainly found inside of the organisms, especially in the gut, gills, and gonads and externally adherent MP ranged from 11 to 35 % of the total. Biochemical energy assessments after two weeks of MP exposure indicated energy gains for water column species but energy loss for sediment-associated species, highlighting the susceptibility of infaunal benthic communities to MP contamination.
... Following the level of plastic production and release, six main categories of polymers (Dehaut et al., 2016) emerge among the others, these include: polypropylene (PP), high and low density polyethylene (HDPE and LDPE), polyvinyl chloride (PVC), polyurethane (PUR), polyethylene terephthalate (PET) and polystyrene (PS). Recent reports have assessed the ubiquitous presence of MP in various environmental matrices from remote sparsely populated regions of the globe such as the poles to remote lakes and deserts (Munari et al., 2017;Fang et al., 2018;Peng et al., 2018;Zhang et al., 2019;Sfriso et al., 2020;Abbasi et al., 2021). Following processes of fragmentation, fouling and flocculation, ingestion and egestion by biota, MP eventually became negatively buoyant, settling on the seabed (Porter et al., 2018). ...
... Microplastics are pervasive contaminants, detected across many environments including the atmosphere, mountain lakes, freshwater bodies, terrestrial lands, deep oceans, and polar regions (Munari et al., 2017;Fang et al., 2018;Free et al., 2014;Gasperi et al., 2015;Horton et al., 2017;Van Cauwenberghe et al., 2013). Small MP often resemble small food particles and interact with organisms often leading to ingestion by a wide array of aquatic fauna (Wang et al., 2019) and recent field studies focusing on invertebrate benthic trophic chains suggested that biomagnification and accumulation of MP are unlikely to occur toward predators (Bour et al., 2018;Setälä et al., 2016;Sfriso et al., 2020), conversely, filter feeders and grazers, at the lowest trophic levels, exhibited the highest concentrations of MP per individual. ...
Article
Full-text available
Microplastic (MP) pollution poses a global concern, especially for benthic invertebrates. This one-month study investigated the accumulation of small MP polymers (polypropylene and polyester resin, 3-500 μm, 250 μg L − 1) in benthic invertebrates and on one alga species. Results revealed species-specific preferences for MP size and type, driven by ingestion, adhesion, or avoidance behaviours. Polyester resin accumulated in Mytilus gallopro-vincialis, Chamelea gallina, Hexaplex trunculus, and Paranemonia cinerea, while polypropylene accumulated on Ulva rigida. Over time, MP accumulation decreased in count but not size, averaging 6.2 ± 5.0 particles per individual after a month. MP were mainly found inside of the organisms, especially in the gut, gills, and gonads and externally adherent MP ranged from 11 to 35 % of the total. Biochemical energy assessments after two weeks of MP exposure indicated energy gains for water column species but energy loss for sediment-associated species, highlighting the susceptibility of infaunal benthic communities to MP contamination.
... In organisms (bivalves, heart urchins, polychaetes, fish, and shrimps) collected from a Norwegian fjord (Jeløya), Bour et al. [39] found that the presence of MPs was related to the feeding modality but not to the habitat and trophic level. Plastic debris were retrieved by Fang et al. [40,41] from three benthic organisms i.e., one sea anemone, belonging to Actiniidae, one starfish, Ctenodiscus crispatus (Bruzelius, 1805), and one snow crab, Chionoecetes opilio (Fabricius, 1788) collected from the Chukchi Sea; MPs abundance in sea anemones was reported to correlate positively with the reduction in sea ice coverage, and the role of these organisms as potential bioindicators of MPs pollution in the Arctic was suggested. ...
... MPs accumulation in invertebrates is of growing concern; they are the lowest marine trophic level, and predatory fish and birds fed on them. In recognition of the role of these organisms as potential indicators of plastic pollution, the occurrence and distribution of MPs in Arctic invertebrates have recently been reviewed [41,63], providing also recommendations for the next monitoring plans. However, regarding the smallest fraction of plastic items (e.g., SMPs and NPs), to date, the body burden of pollutants from invertebrates is still an unknown threat, especially considering that it may be susceptible to bioaccumulation and biomagnification across the trophic web up to humans. ...
Article
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Citation: Caruso, G.; Iannilli, V.; Vitale, G.; Vardè, M.; Oliverio, M.; Bogialli, S.; Litti, L.; Setini, A.; Rosso, B.; Corami, F. These authors contributed equally to this work. Abstract: The Arctic Ocean is undergoing several transformations because of global climate change. Small microplastics (SMPs) or nanoplastics (NPs) carried by marine aerosols may settle in the land ice and be released to the waters, produced following its melting. As sea ice extent reduces and shipping and fishing activities increase, microplastics (MPs) may enter the region following ocean and maritime transports, with implications on Arctic biota, human health, and socioeconomic issues related to the exploitation of marine resources. First analyses on amphipods collected in Ny-Ålesund confirmed the presence of SMPs. Nevertheless, the threat posed by SMPs/NPs to polar biota and regional human health is not fully understood. This article addresses this issue and the need for organisms as potential bioindicators of plastic pollution, which is currently being carried out in the Svalbard region under the framework of the MICROTRACER project funded by the Italian Arctic Research Program (PRA, Call 2021). The outputs of this research are expected to contribute to deepening the current knowledge of SMPs in Svalbard, providing new insights on their occurrence, distribution, and transfer through the marine trophic web, to realize effective control and regulatory framework measures to implement an integrated multidisciplinary approach for monitoring and to reduce MPs pollution in this fragile polar environment.
... The Arctic Ocean represents a unique and fragile ecosystem that is often considered linked with the weather patterns, global ocean circulation, and large-scale migration patterns across the globe, while it has been influenced by the inflows from the Northern Pacific Ocean passing through the Bering Strait during past few decades (Huang et al., 2022). The Bering and Chukchi Seas located in the Arctic and Northern Pacific Oceans are highest productive ecosystems that support diverse, ecologically and commercially important communities from pelagic communities to marine mammals including high levels of benthic biomass (Fang et al., 2018). ...
... Recently, the interest of the scientific community has increased to investigate the state of environment in the Arctic and Pacific Oceans. Several studies have investigated the distribution and fate of organic (Elliott, 2005;Hung et al., 2002;Mormede and Davies, 2003;Prevedouros et al., 2006), inorganic (Astakhov et al., 2019;Soromotin et al., 2022;Yang and Haley, 2016;Ye et al., 2019;Zhihua et al., 2003), microplastic (Fang et al., 2018;Huang et al., 2022) and microbial contaminants (Hu et al., 2015) in these regions. The transport and distribution of REEs in Arctic Ocean waters are influenced by a complex interplay of natural processes, including riverine inputs, sediment transport, and atmospheric deposition (Astakhov et al., 2019(Astakhov et al., , 2018MacMillan et al., 2017;Rachold, 1999;Soromotin et al., 2022;Westerlund and Ö hman, 1992;Yang and Haley, 2016;Zhihua et al., 2003). ...
Article
The status and ecological impacts of sedimentary elements of the marginal seas of Arctic and Northern Pacific Oceans was investigated during 2016 to 2018 by using inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry. Industrial (0.006 mg kg−1–64.6 g kg−1), precious (0.003–43.8 mg kg−1), rare earth (0.006–112.9 mg kg−1), and heavy metal (0.009–398.9 mg kg−1) elements showed spatial variation, and temporal uniformity. The results indicated ΣREEs and light REEs enrichment compared to chondrite and heavy REEs, respectively, while nonsignificant positive and negative δCe and δEu anomalies existed, respectively. High contamination and extreme enrichment of priority control, industrial (As, Mo, Re, Sb), precious (Au, Ir, Pd, Pt, and Ru) and RE elements indicated potential moderate to high ecological and biological risks. The study highlighted the ecological importance and fragile nature of these ecosystems and calls for an urgent action to ensure sustainability of these ecosystems
... While 1-2 mm-sized MPs were found dominantly in the gills of crabs, followed by 2-3 mm, 3-4 mm, and 4-5 mm. Similarly, less than 2 mm-sized MPs were found in Chionoecetes opilio (Fang et al., 2018) and P. pelagicus (Daniel et al., 2021). The occurrence of various sizes of MPs in marine environments revealed the breakdown of larger plastic debris into small plastic particles (Rabari et al., 2023b). ...
... Results of AT-FTIR revealed that PE, PET, PU, PS and PP as polymer compositions of MPs. Similarly, PE, PET, PU, PS and PP were recorded as polymer compositions of MPs (Fang et al., 2018;Zhang et al., 2019;de Barros and dos Santos Calado, 2020;Renzi et al., 2020). Polymer identification of identified MPs can be useful to forecast the possible source of MPs in marine environments (Rabari et al., 2023a). ...
Article
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Microplastic (MP) in seafood is a growing area of food safety. In the present study, MP contamination in the commercially important crab Portunus sanguinolentus was assessed. A total of 300 crab specimens were collected from three principal fishing harbors of Gujarat. The collected specimens were analyzed for MPs isolation using a previously published protocol. The specimens were dissected, and organs such as the gut and gills were placed separately in the beaker. The organic tissues were digested using 10% KOH. After the digestion, flotation and filtration processes were carried out for the extraction of MPs. The physical (shape, size, and color) and chemical characterization of MPs were performed. The average abundance of MP was recorded as 0.67 ± 0.62 MPs/g. The pollution indices revealed very high contamination and fell under class IV (Jakhau) and V risk categories (Okha and Veraval). Microfibers were found dominantly. Blue and black-colored MPs with 1–2 mm sizes were recorded dominantly. Polyethylene, polyethylene tetraphene, polyurethane, polystyrene, and polypropylene were identified as polymer compositions of MPs. Concludingly, the present study gives an insight into the MP in an important crab species P. sanguinolentus, which can be useful to design further investigations on the toxicity of MPs in seafood.
... The Arctic Ocean represents a unique and fragile ecosystem that is often considered linked with the weather patterns, global ocean circulation, and large-scale migration patterns across the globe, while it has been influenced by the inflows from the Northern Pacific Ocean passing through the Bering Strait during past few decades (Huang et al., 2022). The Bering and Chukchi Seas located in the Arctic and Northern Pacific Oceans are highest productive ecosystems that support diverse, ecologically and commercially important communities from pelagic communities to marine mammals including high levels of benthic biomass (Fang et al., 2018). ...
... Recently, the interest of the scientific community has increased to investigate the state of environment in the Arctic and Pacific Oceans. Several studies have investigated the distribution and fate of organic (Elliott, 2005;Hung et al., 2002;Mormede and Davies, 2003;Prevedouros et al., 2006), inorganic (Astakhov et al., 2019;Soromotin et al., 2022;Yang and Haley, 2016;Ye et al., 2019;Zhihua et al., 2003), microplastic (Fang et al., 2018;Huang et al., 2022) and microbial contaminants (Hu et al., 2015) in these regions. The transport and distribution of REEs in Arctic Ocean waters are influenced by a complex interplay of natural processes, including riverine inputs, sediment transport, and atmospheric deposition (Astakhov et al., 2019(Astakhov et al., , 2018MacMillan et al., 2017;Rachold, 1999;Soromotin et al., 2022;Westerlund and Ö hman, 1992;Yang and Haley, 2016;Zhihua et al., 2003). ...
... Since the Pacific Ocean is not free from microplastics, the Bering Sea is an important conduit of microplastic migration from the Pacific to the Arctic water. To our knowledge, there is hitherto only one study of microplastic ingestion by benthic organisms in the Bering Sea (21). Therefore, the impact and ecological consequences of microplastics in the Bering Sea remain largely unknown. ...
... Different foraging behaviors between the juvenile (mainly feeding on zooplankton) and the older (primarily consuming krill, other little fishes, and juvenile Alaska pollock) fish might also play a role in affecting the different results observed in different age groups. The variation in feeding behavior leads us to speculate that the food for the elder fish might contain more microplastics than those for the juvenile fish since shrimp Pandalus borealis from the sub-Arctic has been documented to contain high levels of microplastics (21). There is a scarce dataset on microplastic ingestion by marine organisms from the Bering Sea, thereby suggesting that this explanation referred to above needs further field investigation. ...
Article
Marine microplastics are an increasingly big concern. We analyze the occurrence of microplastics in Alaska pollock (Gadus chalcogrammus) across 2+ to 12+ ages sampled from the Bering Sea. Results show that 85% of the fish have ingested microplastics and elder fish ingest more with over a third of microplastics in the 100- to 500-micrometer size range, indicating the prevalence of microplastics in Alaska pollock distributed in the Bering Sea. A positive linear relationship is obtained between fish age and microplastic size. Meanwhile, the number of polymer types increases in elder fish. The link between microplastic characteristics in Alaska pollock and the surrounding seawater suggests an extended spatial impact of microplastics. The impact of age-related microplastic ingestion on the population quality of Alaska pollock is still unknown. Therefore, we need to further investigate the potential impact of microplastics on marine organisms and the marine ecosystem, taking age as an important factor.
... Plastic debris is an escalating environmental crisis and has been detected in nearly all aquatic ecosystems [1][2][3][4]. Reportedly, more than 300 million tons of plastic was produced annually in the world, and approximately 10% plastic was released into freshwater or the ocean [3][4][5]. Larger plastic debris can break down into microplastics(MPs) (1-5 mm) or nanoplastics (NPs) (1-1000 nm) via physical, chemical, and biological processes [1,6]. ...
... The CAT activity began to decline at mg/L in 50 nm PS-NPs treatment groups, as compared to the control, while it w increased at high concentrations (≥10 mg/L) of 70 nm PS-NPs-treated groups, and a sm decrease was observed at 50 mg/L relative to 20 mg/L. This discrepancy was proba associated with the higher ROS and MDA content that was induced by 50 nm PS-NPs compared with 70 nm PS-NPs, since excessive ROS and MDA levels could destroy intrinsic antioxidant defenses of cells and promote membrane lipid peroxidation [22,2 These discoveries showed that 50 nm PS-NPs caused the stronger oxidative damage on vulgaris with respect to 70 nm PS-NPs. Given the obvious difference of the two PS-NPs on CAT activity at high concentrations (≥10 mg/L), esterase activities were also analyzed in the present study, which is a critical biochemical parameter to assess microalgae metabolic activity [26,33]. ...
Article
Full-text available
The ubiquitous nature of plastics, particularly nanoplastics, raises concern about their potential effects on primary producer microalgae. Currently, the impacts and potential mechanisms of nanoplastics on microalgae are not fully understood. In this study, the effects of two plain commercial polystyrene nanoplastics (PS-NPs) with different sizes (50 nm and 70 nm) on C. vulgaris were assessed in a concentration range of 0-50 mg/L during 72 h exposure periods. Results revealed that both PS-NPs have dose-dependent toxicity effects on C. vulgaris, as confirmed by the decrease of growth rates, chlorophyll a and esterase activities, and the increase of ROS, MDA, and membrane damage. The membrane damage was caused by the agglomeration of PS-NPs on microalgae and may be the key reason for the toxicity. Compared with 70 nm PS-NPs (72 h EC50 >50 mg/L), 50 nm PS-NPs posed greater adverse effects on algae, with an EC50-72h of 19.89 mg/L. FTIR results also proved the stronger variation of macromolecules in the 50 nm PS-NPs treatment group. This phenomenon might be related to the properties of PS-NPs in exposure medium. The lower absolute zeta potential value of 50 nm PS-NPs induced the stronger interaction between PS-NPs and algae as compared to 70 nm PS-NPs, leading to severe membrane damage and the loss of esterase activity as well as settlement. These findings emphasized the importance of considering the impacts of commercial PS-NPs properties in toxicity evaluation.
... In addition to those climate-driven pressures, Arctic ecosystems will experience increasing pressures from many other anthropogenic sources. Microplastic contamination is already affecting benthic organisms in the Chukchi Sea and other areas of the Arctic through local sources and transport (Fang et al., 2018;Bergmann et al., 2022). New ice-free conditions along the shelves and seasonally in the Central Arctic Ocean would allow Arctic shipping year-round starting in the 2070s (Min et al., 2022), leading to increased concentrations in pollutants (Svavarsson et al., 2021). ...
Article
Full-text available
Climate change is rapidly modifying biodiversity across the Arctic, driving a shift from Arctic to more boreal ecosystem characteristics. This phenomenon, known as borealization, is mainly described for certain functional groups along sub-Arctic inflow shelves (Barents and Chukchi Seas). In this review, we evaluate the spatial extent of such alterations across the Arctic, as well as their effects on ecosystem-level processes and risks. Along the inflow shelves, borealization is driven by long-term strengthened inflow of increasingly warm waters from the south and punctuated by advection and low sea ice extreme events. A growing body of literature also points to an emerging borealization of the other Arctic shelf ecosystems, through a “spillover” effect, as local changes in environmental conditions enable movement or transport of new species from inflow shelves. These modifications are leading to changes across functional groups, although many uncertainties remain regarding under-sampled groups, such as microbes, and technical challenges of consistent, regular monitoring across regions. There is also clear consensus that borealization is affecting phenology, species composition, community traits, population structure and essential habitats, species interactions, and ecosystem resilience. Non-dynamic environmental factors, such as depth and photoperiod, are thought to limit the complete borealization of the system, and may lead to intermediate, “hybrid” ecosystems in the future. We expect current borders of Arctic and boreal ecosystems to progress further northward and ultimately reach an equilibrium state with seasonal borealization. Risks to the system are difficult to estimate, as adaptive capacities of species are poorly understood. However, ice-associated species are clearly most at risk, although some might find temporary refuge in areas with a slower rate of change. We discuss the likely character of future Arctic ecosystems and highlight the uncertainties. Those changes have implications for local communities and the potential to support Blue Growth in the Arctic. Addressing these issues is necessary to assess the full scale of Arctic climate impacts and support human mitigation and adaptation strategies.
... They also found a positive correlation between microplastic intake and fish size. More surprisingly, MPs were also found in benthicinhabiting organisms in the Arctic and sub-Arctic regions by Fang et al. (2018), who provided data on the abundance and characteristics of MPs in 413 dominant benthic organisms representing 11 different species in the Bering Sea and Chukchi shelf, with abundances of MPs in all studied benthic organisms ranging from 0.02 ~ 0.46 particles · (1 g wet weight) −1 or 0.04 ~ 1.67 particles · individual −1 . Their study also revealed that fibrous MPs were the predominant type of MPs in all species (87%), followed by films (13%), which was consistent with data provided by earlier studies. ...
Article
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Marine white pollution, i.e., plastic pollution, is currently a major challenge to the marine environment. Microplastics(MPs), as an emerging pollutant, are attracting widespread global attention. Due to the special properties of plastic, it is widely used, but the plastic waste generated during its use is difficult to recycle or utilize, so it gradually accumulates in the environment. Marine MPs mainly come from industrial discharge, domestic sewage discharge, and direct discharge during maritime transportation and operations. After MPs enter the marine environment, they will change the distribution status of MPs in the marine environment, thereby bringing varying degrees of impact to the marine environment and posing potential risks to the security of marine ecosystems. The article summarizes the sources, distribution characteristics, pollution status, and potential ecological risks of MPs in the marine environment, in order to provide scientific basis for solving and repairing marine microplastic pollution.
... By far, Fang et al. (2018) provided the most comprehensive investigation of microplastic ingestion by multiple benthic invertebrate species from the Arctic and sub-Arctic regions of the Bering and Chukchi Seas. In this study conducted in 2017, 431 individuals from 11 different speciesincluding bivalves, gastropods, echinoderms and crustaceanswere investigated for the presence of microplastics. ...
Chapter
Microplastics are increasingly recognized as being globally widespread, but relatively little is known about the presence and abundance of microplastics in samples collected in Polar Regions. Here we review the current knowledge about microplastic occurrence and distribution in polar environments, with a particular focus on the relevance of the data and comparability between Arctic and Antarctic investigations. In the Arctic, microplastics have been found in seawater, marine sediments, ice, and snow and in the gut content of several species at different trophic levels. Antarctica is still, by far, the least affected region by human activity than anywhere else in the world, and the few studies carried out in this region find microplastics at very low concentrations. Studies focusing on microplastic threats to key species of Arctic and Antarctic marine food webs are urgently needed as are coordinated long-term studies on microplastic pollution, which are mandatory to follow the temporal trend of human impact in these remote regions.
... Observations of microplastics in Arctic regions have been increasing across all ecosystems since they were first reported in 2015 (Lusher et al., 2015;Obbard et al., 2014;Trevail et al., 2015). Microplastics have now been found in many types of environmental samples, ranging from deep-sea sediments to sea ice (Kanhai et al., 2020) and marine biota (Fang et al., 2018;Gebruk et al., 2022). However, there is a lack of holistic understanding of the sources of plastic pollution, accumulation patterns, and long-term ecosystem effects (AMAP, 2021a; PAME, 2019). ...
Article
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Microplastic pollution was studied in surface waters of Isfjorden, Svalbard in July 2021 as a part of an international regional harmonisation exercise. Surface microplastics (0.5-5 mm) were sampled with a neuston net in triplicate per study site in several branches of Isfjorden, covering populated and unpopulated fjords. High spatial variability of microplastic abundance (0-32,700 items/km 2) was observed within a single fjord resulting from the hydrodynamic pattern formed through the interaction of surface currents, freshwater runoff, and wind conditions. Maximum microplastic abundance was not correlated with the distance from the local source and was instead defined by local small-scale hydrodynamics. Future recommendations for correct assessment of surface microplastics concentration in estuarine environments are presented.
... Indeed, plastic pollution has been found across the Arctic environment, including seawater (Huntington et al., 2020;Morgana et al., 2018), the sea floor (Tekman et al., 2017), beaches (Pollet et al., 2023), snow (Bergmann et al., 2019), and sea ice (Peeken et al., 2018). Once in the environment, plastic pollution can be ingested by biota, and has been reported in various Arctic species, including zooplankton (Huntington et al., 2020), invertebrates (Fang et al., 2018), fish Morgana et al., 2018), marine mammals (Moore et al., 2021) and seabirds (Baak et al., 2020a). Due to their high trophic position, sensitivity to changes in the marine environment, and accessibility at central breeding colonies, seabirds are often used as indicators of ecosystem health (Parsons et al., 2008), and consequently, are one of the most widely studied animal groups for plastic pollution in the Arctic and across the globe (Bergmann et al., 2022). ...
... The authors of that review concluded that microplastics do not biomagnify along the food web, but instead organisms at lower trophic levels are more contaminated on a mass basis than top predators. Filter feeders, such as mussels on the seafloor or zooplankton at the surface, are considered to have the greatest exposure to microplastic contamination (Fang et al., 2018) and present higher microplastics concentration than fish (Morgana et al., 2018;Liboiron et al., 2019). It remains unclear whether a size-and/or a color-selection occurs along the food chain and, if it happens, at which trophic level it occurs. ...
... Secondary MPs are created as a result of size reduction by physicochemical processes and photooxidation. In the literature, the most common shape of MPs reported is fibre Zhang et al., 2016;Fang et al., 2018;Covernton et al., 2019;Gonzalez-Pleiter et al., 2020). The most common types of polymers that constitute MPs are polyethylene (PE), polypropylene (PP), polyethylene terephthalate (PET), polystyrene, polyvinyl chloride, polylactic acid, and polyamide (Carr et al., 2016;Courtene-Jones et al., 2017;Miller et al., 2017;Tavşanoğlu, 2020). ...
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We compared different net sampling methods for microplastic quantitative collection by sampling different water volumes with nets of different mesh sizes. Sampling covered freshwater lake and reservoir with a significant degree of eutrophication located in Central Poland. The fibres were the main type of plastic collected from sampling sites and constituted 83% of all microplastic particles. Fibres of 700–1900 μm dominated in the samples. The size of mesh affected the amount of fibres collected. Small fibres of 10–200 μm in length were collected using only a fine net of 20 μm mesh size. The total amount of fibres depended on sample volumes; concentrations of microplastics were higher for smaller water volumes. It is likely that clogging with phytoplankton and suspended particles reduced the filtration capacity of the finest nets when large volumes were sampled, which led to an underestimation of microplastic. To our knowledge, this is the first study to provide evidence that the amount of small microfibres depends on mesh size and that the total microplastic abundance in freshwaters in Poland depends on the sample volume. We suggest sampling rather larger than smaller water volumes to assess the level of microplastic contamination more accurately, but clogging, which reduces the filtration capacity of finest nets, should be taken into account when eutrophic freshwater environments are studied.
... These particulates may be from the degradation of bigger plastic elements or plastic initially produced with a little dimension for commercial application [8]. They are easily ingested by organisms from various trophic levels [63][64][65][66] and have the ability to accumulate in bivalves [28], with potential consequences to human health. Fang et al. [67] reported an ingestion of 2565 microplastics items by volunteers, after consumption of 225 g of mussels, an exposure classified as considerable [68,69]. ...
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Bivalve species have a key role at the ecosystem level and a very interesting economic value. Globally, bivalve production is higher than 15 million tons. Thus, this work intends to highlight the economic value of these organisms, but mostly highlights the potential of this resource for water management and water quality improvement, and thus to the sustainability of aquatic systems, which gives them a particular interest. These organisms are under anthropogenic pressures becoming crucial to preserve aquatic systems and their communities, namely bivalve communities, and water quality by reducing pollution. UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) highlight the main actions to reduce humans’ footprint and to create globally a model to guarantee human security, to protect the environment and water quality and to combat climate changes. To achieve the UN SDGs, bivalves may have a high importance for sustainability and preservation of freshwater and marine systems (SDG 14), and for water management (SDG 6), due to their ability to improve the water quality by reduction of pollution. This work aims to highlight the main ecological roles of marine bivalves and the human actions that will contribute to achieve sustainable aquatic systems, and so the SDG 6 and SDG 14 by 2030.
... Studies demonstrated that the toxicity of MP fibers is greater than that of other MP particles (Ziajahromi et al., 2017), which may be related to the longer duration of fiber in the intestinal tract (Au et al., 2015;Lei et al., 2018) as well as its ability to adsorb other persistent and toxic chemical pollutants (Au et al., 2015;Re et al., 2019). Moreover, the higher abundances of fragments, films, and fibers in the Ikpoba River may pose a higher MPs encounter potential in the inhabiting freshwater organisms (Fang et al., 2018;Phuong et al., 2018). ...
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This study presents a comprehensive assessment of microplastics in water, sediment, and fish species (Clarias gariepinus and Oreochromis niloticus) of the Ikpoba River. Water samples were collected using twenty-five-litre stainless steel buckets, sediment samples were obtained using a Van Veen grab sampler, and fish samples were collected using gill nets and hand nets respectively. Microplastics were extracted from water and sediment samples using a density separation method, employing a saturated sodium chloride solution. Fish samples were dissected, and the gastrointestinal tracts (GIT) were examined for the presence of microplastics. Attenuated Total Reflectance Fourier-Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR) was employed to confirm the polymer composition of select particles. The results indicate the widespread presence of microplastics in the Ikpoba rivers ecosystem with a high prevalence of polypropylene (PP), polystyrene (PS), and polyethylene (PE) in surface water and Polyethylene terephthalate (PET) and Polyvinyl chloride (PVC) in sediment samples. In fish samples, C. gariepinus accumulated the highest concentration of microplastics compared to O. niloticus. The polymer PE was highest in both fish species followed by PC. Most MP shapes identified in this study consist of fiber, film, foam, and fragments in water, sediment, and fish. Therefore, this study quantitatively demonstrates the presence of microplastic contamination in the Ikpoba River and thus raises significant concerns about the vulnerability of the local fish population to microplastic ingestion.
... MP pollution has been identified in numerous marine ecosystems throughout the world due to the significant input from land sources, which is very persistent in the environment and easily transported by oceanic currents (Lavers and Bond, 2017;Brach et al., 2018;Reed et al., 2018;Rezania et al., 2018). Marine biota can readily consume MPs; for instance, numerous studies have shown that MPs are present in a variety of marine organisms at different trophic levels, from the coast to the poles (Fang et al., 2018;Li et al., 2018;Morgana et al., 2018;Rezania et al., 2018). Therefore, determining the effect of MPs on marine ecosystems is crucial because it is highly related to human health due to seafood consumption. ...
Article
This study investigated microplastic (MP) contamination in six tropical fish species of different mouth sizes and trophic levels from Saint Martin's Island, Bay of Bengal. A total of 309 microplastics (MPs) were extracted from the gastrointestinal tract (GT) of these selected fishes, where the presence of MPs was 100 %. The mean abundance of MPs was significantly varied among the species and ranged from 4.38 to 10 MPs/GT (p < 0.05). This study revealed that MP incidence was strongly correlated with the mouth-to-body ratio of the selected fishes (r = 0.424, p = 0.003) and trophic levels (r = 0.458, p = 0.002). Results suggest that fish with larger mouths are more likely to ingest MPs, intentionally or unintentionally, compared to those with smaller mouths.
... In addition, fish, as sources of human food, have recently received significant attention because of the risks associated with the bioaccumulation of MPs and possible biomagnification for a variety of hydrocarbons, heavy metals, dyes, and other contaminants in it [13]. By realizing the facts, the detection of MPs in the gills and digestive tracts of fish in marine environments from neighboring countries, e.g., India and China, has received a great attention in earlier research [11,[14][15][16]. In Bangladesh, despite several studies [17][18][19] that looked at the intake of plastics by various fish species from the marine environment, to our knowledge, there are no published documents detailing the consumption of MPs by king mackerel fish, S. guttatus. ...
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Simple Summary It is evident that microplastics can enter the human body via dermal contact, inhalation, and food intake and pose a significant threat to human health. Therefore, understanding microplastics is essential for protecting the environment and human health. This study identified 48.7 MPs on average in each fish of king mackerel, with varying concentrations in different tissues, such as the digestive tract, gills, and muscle. The size and characteristics of these MPs varied but many were <0.5 mm in size (97.74%) and fiber-like, with a lot in the muscle tissue, which raises concerns for human consumption. Three types of plastic polymers were identified in the MPs, likely from things like food packaging and plastic waste. The fish’s muscle and digestive tract were significantly contaminated with MPs, indicating a high level of pollution. Abstract Microplastics (MPs) ingestion by fish signifies a worldwide threat to human health but limited research has examined their existence within the consumable portions (muscle) of fish. Thus, this study was undertaken to unveil the prevalence, characterization, and contamination extent of MPs across various body tissues, including the muscle of the king mackerel (S. guttatus) from the lower Meghna estuary in Bangladesh—a pioneering investigation in this region. In our analysis, we identified a total of 487 MPs, with an average abundance of 48.7 ± 20.3 MPs/individual. These MPs were distributed across different tissues, with respective concentrations of 0.84 ± 0.45 items/g in the digestive tract, 2.56 ± 0.73 items/g in the gills, and 0.3 ± 1.72 items/g in the muscle tissue. The observed variations among these tissue types were statistically significant (p < 0.05). Moreover, a significant positive correlation indicated that fish with higher weight had higher MPs in their gills and DT (digestive tract). The majority were <0.5 mm in size (97.74%) and exhibited a fiber-like shape (97.74%), with a notable prevalence of transparent (25.87%) and a pink coloration (27.92%). Remarkably, the majority of MPs were discovered within the size range of <0.5–1 mm (100%), particularly in the muscle tissue, signifying a substantial transfer of MPs into the human diet. Besides, we discovered only three polymer types of microplastics which could be attributed to the extensive use of food packaging, plastic containers, wrapping plastics, residential garbage, and plastic pipes that end up in the aquatic environment via river discharges. The contamination factor (CF) values of fish muscle (5.75) and the digestive tract (5.50) indicated that these fish organs were considerably contaminated (3 < CF < 6) with MPs. The pollution index of MPs (PLI > 1) indicated a high contamination level for MPs pollution of S. guttatus in the lower Meghna River estuary.
... found in Chionoecetesopilio(Fang et al., 2018)d pelagicus(Daniel et al., 2021). The occurrence of various sizes of MPs in marine environments revealed the breakdown of larger plastic debris into small plastic particles(Rabari et al., 2023). ...
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Microplastic (MP) in seafood is a growing area of food safety. In the present study, MP contamination in the commercially important crab, Portunus sanguinolentus, of Gujarat state, India, was assessed. A total of 300 crab specimens were collected from three principal fishing harbors in Gujarat. The collected specimens were analyzed using a previously used methodology. The average abundance of MP was recorded as 0.67 ± 0.62 MPs/g. The pollution indices revealed high contamination and fell under class IV (Jakhau) and V risk categories (Okha and Veraval). Threads were found dominantly. Blue and black-colored MPs with 1–2 mm sizes were recorded dominantly. Polyethylene, Polyethylene tetraphene, polyurethane, polystyrene, and polypropylene were identified as polymer compositions of MPs. Concludingly, the present study gives an insight into the MP in crabs, which can help design further investigations on the toxicity of MPs in seafood.
... However, data related to the consequences of ingestion by low level trophic aquatic organisms like mangrove brachyurans and gastropods are limited (Aguirre-Sanchez et al., 2022;Fang et al., 2023;Li et al., 2020a). This is concerning since MP ingestion has been shown to cause adverse effects on their feeding and reproductive strategies (Naidoo et al., 2016;Fang et al., 2018;Kleawkla et al., 2019;Aguirre-Sanchez et al., 2022). ...
Article
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Microplastic (MP) prevalence has been well documented, however, knowledge gaps exist for African mangrove forests. This research is the first to compare MP pollution (using FT-IR analysis) in an urban (Durban Bay) and peri-urban (Mngazana Estuary) mangrove forest in South Africa, across different compartments. MP pollution (typology, abundance, and distribution) was quantified in estuarine surface water, sediment and the soft tissue of three keystone species (Austruca occidentalis, Chiromantes eulimene and Cerithidea decollata) in relation to disturbances acting on these systems. MP averages ranged from 99 to 82 MPs/kg sediment, 177 to 76 MPs/L water and 82 to 59 MP/g − 1 DW in biota. Overall fibres were the dominant MP type across all compartments. The three invertebrate species exhibited MP bioaccumulation, however, significant differences were observed between MP concentrations in the soft body tissue of invertebrates and abiotic compartments, providing evidence that they are not effective biomonitors of MP pollution.
... According to D' Costa (2022), the size of MPs can be varied in different species based on their feeding patterns. Fang et al. (2018) recorded <2 mm sized MPs from Chionoecetes opilio, while 100-200 μm sized MPs were extracted from P. pelagicus (Daniel et al., 2021). Various-sized MPs in crabs revealed the fragmentation of larger plastic debris into MPs . ...
... Microplastics accumulate in Arctic and Antarctic deep-sea sediments (Munari et al., 2017;Adams et al., 2021;Bergmann et al., 2022) and are found in polar benthic organisms (Sfriso et al., 2020;Deng et al., 2021;Bergami et al., 2023). However, no data are available on the occurrence of small microplastics (<10 µm, lower size limit reported in Fang et al., (2018)) and nanoplastics, limiting the impact assessment on benthos. Our study on the sea urchin Sterechinus neumayeri immune cells was the first attempt to evaluate nanoplastic toxicity on Antarctic benthos. ...
Article
Nanoplastic (<1 µm) pollution in the marine environment is a cause of growing concern due to the current difficulties in measuring their occurrence in abiotic and biotic matrices, with consequent uncertainties on their ecological risk for natural communities and associated ecosystem services. Most investigations dealing with marine nano-ecotoxicity have been conducted on a bench-scale by examining the effects on single model species under short-term exposure conditions and at high concentrations (>50 mgL − 1). Both negligible impacts and detrimental effects, although poorly descriptive of the real environmental exposure scenarios, have been documented on different trophic levels and ecological functionalities. Polystyrene nanospheres (<100 nm) are by far the most tested as a proxy for nanoplastics, even though the occurrence of nanoplastics composed by other polymers and shapes (i.e., irregular and fibers) has been reported in seawater column and sediments. Limited information on bioaccumulation in marine species hamper the selection of key bioindicator species following various criteria (i.e., target, highly sensitive, endangered, etc) for pollution monitoring and ecological risk assessment (ERA) purposes. A holistic approach is thus required starting from setting concentrations as environmentally relevant coupled with chronic exposure, and selecting bioindicators including those having a key role in marine ecosystem processes, functions and services, also relevant for human consumption (shellfish and seafood). The present mini-review aims to provide a framework for the selection of the best bioindicators for nanoplastic in the marine environment along with current knowledge on sources, circulation and behavior in temperate and polar environments and potential compartments/species more at risk of exposure, to support nanoplastic ERA. Less investigated ecological niches and habitats, which should deserve more attention in future studies, are also identified.
... In this section, we presented the perspective regarding the impact of climate change and microplastic on organisms using relevant evidence from the literature, as illustrated in Figure 4. Microplastics reach the Arctic seas, either by airborne transmission or via glacier melting (i.e., various microplastic transportation pathways), exposing the arctic seabirds, fish, and benthic organisms to microplastics. [87][88][89] In another scenario, at the temperature of 20 C, the presence of microplastic does not significantly affect the fish (Pomatoschistus microps, a common species found in the estuaries and coastal waters of Northern Europe and the Mediterranean Sea) mortality (8%, not a significant difference). However, as the water temperature rises to 25 C as a result of global warming, 33% of fish mortality occurred due to temperature increase and microplastic presence. ...
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Plastic pollution and climate change are two major environmental focuses. Having the forming potential due to ambient plastic pollution, the environmental fate of microplastics shall be inevitably impacted by global warming. This manuscript discusses the destiny of environmental microplastics and characterizes their fate considering the framework of the planetary boundary. The major routes for microplastic discharge include the release of microplastic stored in the ice into the sea when the ice melts as a result of global temperature increase, flushing of the plastic/microplastic debris from the shorelines into the adjacent water bodies as a result of increased rainfall, redistribution of the microplastics away from the source of plastic debris as a result of increased wind, and accumulation of microplastics in the soil as a result of drought. A perspective on the impact of climate change and microplastic pollution on aquatic and soil organisms was discussed as well.
... According to D' Costa (2022), the size of MPs can be varied in different species based on their feeding patterns. Fang et al. (2018) recorded <2 mm sized MPs from Chionoecetes opilio, while 100-200 μm sized MPs were extracted from P. pelagicus (Daniel et al., 2021). Various-sized MPs in crabs revealed the fragmentation of larger plastic debris into MPs . ...
... The above is because they can be distributed throughout the trophic webs at different levels of the food chain, including human beings (Nadeeka et al. 2017, Rist et al. 2018, Cho et al. 2019. Recent studies have shown that microplastics are accumulating on beaches worldwide (Andrady 2011, Browne et al. 2011, Isobe et al. 2015, Nel and Froneman 2015, Kunz et al. 2016, Wessel et al. 2016, Peng et al. 2020, Urban-Malinga et al. 2020, including Arctic areas (Erikson et al. 2013, Fang et al. 2018. In South America, some research on microplastics have been developed during the last few years (Kutralam-Muniasamy et al. 2020), where the main scope was ecological, covering identification, spatial and temporal distribution, as well as the sources of the microplastics and consequences of their presence (Ivar do Sul and Costa 2007, Rezania et al. 2018, Kutralam-Muniasamy et al. 2020. ...
Article
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Plastic pollution in marine and coastal environments has been widely recognized as a growing environmental concern. Plastic particles generated mainly by the degradation of larger plastic debris have been called microplastics (< 5 mm), which are being widely studied in all regions of the world. In South America there has been a constant increase of the research on this topic mainly on the Pacific coast. Specifically, in Peru, the number of publications has also increased, but the northern and southern zones are not well studied. Due to the importance of determining the presence of these contaminants, especially in coastal regions, which are considered as repository environments for these plastics, it is necessary to establish baselines of their current situation. This research aimed to determine and characterize the presence of microplastic particles (< 5 mm) on five sandy beaches in the province of Islay in southern Peru and to consider the possible effect of the Tambo River mouth on the transport and deposition of microplastics on two adjacent beaches. Three sampling stations were determined for each selected beach, consisting of three to two quadrants (1 m2) sampled at 5 cm depth. The results confirm the presence of microplastics. A total of 304 particles were found, with an average density between 1 to 4 part/m2. The areas with the highest concentration of microplastic particles and frequency of occurrence were the beaches adjacent to the river estuary where the most frequent types of particles were fragments and fibers, followed by foams and films, but no pellets.
... Crustaceans such as Portunus pelagicus and Cancer pagurus can also serve as indicators of MP pollution due to their distribution, economic, and ecological behavior (Kleawkla, 2019). Echinoderms such as Asterias rubens (Fang et al., 2018) and echinoderms such as Paracentrotus lividus (Hennicke et al., 2021) are other organisms that can be sampled for MP analysis. Marine annelids such as Nereis diversicolor and Littorina littorea (Buccino comune, common sandpiper) are also of interest in Italian lagoon systems (Doyle et al., 2020(Doyle et al., , 2019Missawi et al., 2021Missawi et al., , 2020. ...
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Lagoons play an important role in providing a variety of ecological services. They provide important habitats for several plant and animal species, also acting as natural filters that regulate water quality. Microplastic (MP) pollution has become a global environmental problem that warrants in-depth studies to understand its impact on socioeconomically and ecologically important areas such as lagoon systems. However, there is a notable lack of data on the occurrence of MPs in Italian lagoon systems, highlighting the need for monitoring and assessment. In this review, peer-reviewed studies from Google Scholar and Scopus databases were examined (n = 10), reflecting the current knowledge on the occurrence of MPs in Italian lagoon systems. A high degree of methodological heterogeneity was recorded, making difficult a meaningful comparison and draw comprehensive conclusions about the occurrence of MPs. Alarmingly, in Italy, only 9 of more than 100 coastal transition ecosystems have been monitored for MP pollution, leaving a significant number unexplored and inadequately studied. In addition, most studies have focused primarily on organism analysis without simultaneously examining the presence of MPs in water and sediments, making it difficult to establish links between MP pollution in abiotic and biotic compartments. To address these gaps, we extended the literature review to research performed worldwide to identify potential organisms suitable for monitoring MPs in lagoons and nearshore transition ecosystems. As observed in many studies, our results highlight the urgent scientific need to standardize methods, procedures, and sampling designs to facilitate comparability and improve the robustness of future research in this area. Overall, this review sheds light on the MP occurrence in Italian lagoon systems, highlights the limitations of existing studies, and emphasizes the urgency of adopting standardized approaches for consistent monitoring and assessment. By addressing these research gaps, we can improve our understanding of MP pollution in lagoons and develop effective strategies to protect these important ecosystems.
... The microplastic accumulation in Arctic waters has not only imperiled the biota therein but also made the humans dependent on them for their energy needs vulnerable. The lower trophic level species of the Arctic food chain consume microplastics, from where they travel to upper trophic level organisms, including humans, via the food chain (Botterell et al., 2022;Collard and Ask, 2021;Fang et al., 2018). The Arctic food chain is unique and intriguing. ...
Article
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Microplastics enriched with carcinogens like heavy metals, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), and their derivatives are ubiquitous in Arctic waters. They contaminate the local land and sea-based food sources, which is a significant health hazard. It is thus imperative to assess the risk posed by them to the nearby communities, which primarily rely on locally available food sources to meet their energy requirements. This paper proposes a novel ecotoxicity model to assess the human health risk posed by microplastics. The region's geophysical and environmental conditions affecting human microplastic intake, along with the human physiological parameters influencing biotransformation, are incorporated into the developed causation model. It investigates the carcinogenic risk associated with microplastic intake in humans via ingestion in terms of incremental excess lifetime cancer risk (IELCR). The model first evaluates microplastic intake and then uses reactive metabolites produced due to the interaction of microplastics with xenobiotic metabolizing enzymes to assess cellular mutations that result in cancer. All these conditions are mapped in an Object-Oriented Bayesian Network (OOBN) framework to evaluate IELCR. The study will provide a vital tool for formulating better risk management strategies and policies in the Arctic region, especially concerning Arctic Indigenous peoples.
... Microplastics can reach remote and pristine ecosystems even when there are no local point sources of plastic production (Zhang et al., 2019;Mishra et al., 2021;Stefánsson et al., 2021;Padha et al., 2022). For example, MPs have been found in remote ecosystems such as the Arctic polar regions, the deep-sea environment, high-mountain lakes, and glaciers via atmospheric transport and deposition (Fang et al., 2018;Ambrosini et al., 2019;Esposito et al., 2022;Pastorino et al., 2021, Pastorino et al., 2022a. Due to their low density, MPs are lifted by wind currents into the upper layers of the atmosphere and then deposited by snowfall or rainfall in high-mountain ecosystems where they may pose environmental risks (Allen et al., 2019). ...
Article
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Microplastic (MP) pollution is a major environmental concern for mountain ecosystem and for high-mountain lakes in particular, which are recognized indicators of global change. In this study, the presence of MPs was assessed in abiotic (water and sediment) and biotic (zooplankton, tadpoles, fish) compartments of two high-mountain lakes (Upper Lake Balma and Lower Lake Balma) in the Cottian Alps (northwest Italy). No MPs were found in water and zooplankton samples, whereas the mean MPs in sediment samples was 1.33 ± 0.67 items/m 3 and 1.75 ± 0.62 items/m 3 in Lower and Upper Lake Balma, respectively. The mean MPs in tadpoles of Rana temporaria was 0.33 ± 0.58 items/individual and 0.66 ± 0.58 items/individual in Lower and Upper Lake Balma, respectively. The mean number of MPs items found in the gastrointestinal tract (GIT) of fish (Salvelinus fontinalis) was considerably higher in specimens from the Lower (0.45 items/g GIT) than in those from the Upper Lake (0.20 items/g GIT). There was a negative relationship between fish size (weight and age) and MPs abundance in the GIT of fish, indicating that young fish accumulated more MP items probably due to the high prey ingestion rate compared to adults. The same MPs color (blue, white, black), shape (fibers and fragments), and chemical type (polypropylene and polyethylene) were found in the compartments of both lakes. Our findings suggest the use of S. fontinalis as an indicator of MP pollution in high-mountain lakes. Further studies are needed to better understand the sources and the effects of MPs in these remote ecosystems.
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El Banco Burdwood es una meseta sumergida que forma parte de la continuación hacia el este de los Andes fueguinos. Tiene una profundidad entre 50 y 200 m, rodeada por taludes más o menos abruptos de unos 2000 a 3000 m de altura y, al sur del banco, sus aguas circundantes superan los 3000 m de profundidad. En 2013, sobre la plataforma del banco, se creó el Área Marina Protegida Namuncurá - Banco Burdwood I (AMPN-BB I) por medio de la Ley N° 26.875, y desde 2014 se realizaron 16 campañas de investigación. Los descubrimientos y hallazgos resultantes de las campañas están siendo publicados en revistas especializadas (ver listado de artículos científicos al final de esta sección) y se compilan en este libro de resúmenes
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The presence of microplastics (MPs) in marine ecosystems is widespread and extensive. They have even reached the deepest parts of the ocean and polar regions. The number of articles on plastic pollution has increased in recent years, but few have investigated the MPs from oceanic islands which are biodiversity hotspots. We investigated the possible microplastic contamination their source and characteristics in surface waters off Kavaratti Island and in the gastrointestinal tract (GT) of skipjack tuna, Katsuwonus pelamis collected from Kavaratti Island of the Lakshadweep archipelago. A total of 424 MP particles were isolated from the surface water samples collected from off Kavaratti Island with an average abundance of 5 ± 1nos./L. A total of 117 MPs were recovered from the GT of skipjack tuna from 30 individual fishes. This points to a potential threat of MP contamination in seafood around the world since this species has a high value in local and international markets. Fiber and blue color were the most common microplastic morphotypes and colors encountered, respectively, both from surface water and GT of fish. Smaller MPs (0.01–1 mm) made up a greater portion of the recovered materials, and most of them were secondary MPs. Polyethylene and polypropylene were the most abundant polymers found in this study. The Pollution Load Index (1.3 ± 0.21) of the surface water and skipjack tuna (1 ± 0.7) indicates a minor ecological risk for the coral islands, while the Polymer Hazard Index highlights the ecological risk of polymers, even at low MP concentrations. This pioneer study sheds preliminary light on the abundance, properties, and environmental risks of MPs to this highly biodiverse ecosystem.
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The seabed is regarded as an important reservoir for microplastics (MPs), leading to an elevated likelihood of ingestion by benthic fauna, subsequently establishing a pathway for the incorporation of microplastics into the marine food web. However, benthic faunal contamination has rarely been investigated by previous studies. Thus, this study was conducted to investigate the distribution, composition, and dynamics of MPs in both the abiotic and biotic components of the seabed. In this study, water, sediment, and macrofauna samples from four stations in Tokyo Bay were collected in July 2021, and MPs were analyzed by micro-Fourier transform infrared (μFTIR) spectroscopy. It was found that MPs concentrations in water, sediments, and macrofauna were 221 ± 189 pcs L-1, 17 ± 8.0 pcs g-1, and 4.8 ± 5.3 pcs ind-1, respectively, and sizes peaked between 40–60 μm for water samples and 30–50 μm for sediments. Polyethylene (PE) and copolymer recorded higher abundances in sediment and water, while PE and polyamide (PA) dominated MPs ingested by macrofauna. Of the sampled fauna, 90% had ingested MP particles. Deposit feeders had the highest number of MPs per individual, followed by predators and filter feeders; however, no indication of bioaccumulation was observed. This research presents a pioneering investigation into MP pollution within Tokyo Bay’s benthic environment, focusing on abiotic and biotic fractions which has not been previously undertaken in this region. The adoption of trophic approach in unveiling the patterns of MP pollution provides insights into the ecological implication of MPs contamination in benthic ecosystems.
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Microplastics pollution of water bodies and drinking water is a relevant problem caused by wide use of plastics in multiple industries, agriculture, manufacturing of household chemicals and medicines. Microplastics pose a threat for human health both due to physical effects and chemicals in their structure as well as microorganisms that can occur on their surface. Some foreign studies describe how microplastics are formed and how they can occur both in marine and fresh water. There are also studies confirming microplastics to be present in seas and rivers in the Russian Federation. Studies that address microplastics in tissues of water organisms are scarce. According to some foreign authors, micro-plastics can be absorbed by mollusks, starfish, actiniae, crabs, etc. Russian researchers provide evidence of considerable quan-tities of microplastics found in the digestive spruce fish caught in the Tom River. Several foreign studies have established effects produced by microplastics on reproduction, eating behavior as well as declining survivability in crustaceans and fish. Fish products are a well-known significant source of microplastics in human diets. Microplastics bioaccumulation in aquatic biota is considered a potential health threat for organisms at higher trophic levels, including humans at the top of the food chain. Unified water sampling techniques are absent; studies that address effects of microplastics on the human body are scarce; there is no available methodology for hygienic standardization of microplastics in water. All this makes it necessary to have some research aimed at identifying sources and causes of microplastics pollution in water bodies including sources of drinking water supply, to assess public health risks, and to provide safe conditions for water use.
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Plastic pollution is recognised as a major global environmental concern, especially within marine environments. The small size of microplastics (< 5 mm) make them readily available for ingestion by organisms in all trophic levels. Here, four beach sites in Adventfjorden on the west coast of Svalbard, were sampled with the aim of investigating the occurrence and abundance of microplastics on beaches to assess potential sources of micro-plastic pollution. High variability in microplastic amount, type and polymers were found at all sites ranging from means of 0.7 n/g (number) at the remotest site and 2.2 n/g (number) at the site closest to Longyearbyen. Statistical analyses suggested that patterns observed were linked to direct proximity to human activities through land uses and effluent discharge. These findings point to an increased importance of localised factors on driving elevated microplastic pollution in beach sediments over oceanic controls in remote but inhabited Arctic locations and have important implications for our understanding and future assessments of microplastic pollution in such settings.
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Microplastics (MP) have been recorded in marine ecosystems around the world; however, little is known about the temporal and spatial variation of PM on marine beaches in Peru. In this work, PM were evaluated in Emerita analoga (Crustacea: Hippidae) and in the sediments of eight sandy beaches, north and south of the city of Lima, in two seasons. Thirty individuals of E. analoga and sediment samples were collected from each of the eight beaches for each season (winter and summer). The PM were extracted, counted and characterized. An abundance of 0.02 ± 0.13 to 1.82 ± 6.31 PM items/individual was observed in E. analoga and in the sediments they varied from 41 ± 31.07 to 5353 ± 4013 PM items/kg. Fragments were the predominant type in the sediments, whereas fibres were the predominant type in E. analoga. Transparent was the most frequent color. Particle sizes in the sediment ranged mainly between 1000 and 3000 μm, and in E. analoga less than 1000 μm. It can be affirmed that spatio-temporal variation plays a more important role in the dynamics of PM in sediments compared to E. analoga. The abundance of PM in the beach sediment was not related to the proportion of individuals in E. analoga that ingested them, nor with the amount ingested.
Article
Presence of microplastics (MPs) in Antarctic ecosystems has attracted global attention, due to the potential threat to the Antarctic marine organisms. However, data on the occurrence of MPs in Antarctic fishes remains very limited. This study investigated the abundance and characteristics of MPs in four species of Antarctic fish (n = 114). The highest mean abundance of MPs was detected in Trematomus eulepidotus (1.7 ± 0.61 items/individual), followed by that in Chionodraco rastrospinosus (1.4 ± 0.26 items/individual), Notolepis coatsi (1.1 ± 0.57 items/individual), and Electrona carlsbergi (0.72 ± 0.19 items/individual). MPs in Notolepis coatsi (mean 747 μm) had the highest mean size, followed by that in Trematomus eulepidotus (653 μm), Chionodraco rastrospinosus (629 μm), and Electrona carlsbergi (473 μm). This is possibly attributed to the feeding habits and egestion behaviors of different Antarctic fishes. Fiber was consistently the predominant shape of MPs in Trematomus eulepidotus, Chionodraco rastrospinosus, and Electrona carlsbergi, accounting for 82 %, 76 %, and 60 % of total items of MPs, respectively. Polypropylene, polyamide, and polyethylene were the predominant polymer composition of MPs in Antarctic fishes, collectively contributed 63-86 % of total items of MPs. This may be because these types of MPs have been widely used in global household materials. To our knowledge, this is the most comprehensive study examining the occurrence of MPs in Antarctic fishes. This study provides fundamental data for evaluating the risks of MP exposure for Antarctic fishes.
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The omnipresence of microplastics (MPs) across the environmental matrixes and their potential as an emerging pollutant is attracting immense attention from researchers and media. Studies have reported MPs as carriers of contaminants including, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, polychlorinated biphenyls, pharmaceuticals, metals, pesticides and even microbes. However, the MP concentration in various environmental matrixes is very low compared to other more potent vectors; in the case of aerosols, the dust and microbial concentration is several orders of magnitude higher than MPs. In the aquatic environment, the phytoplankton, zooplankton, and suspended particulate matter far exceed MP concentrations. Hence, the concerns in the context of global seafood security and sustainability need to be reconsidered, and more information on MP levels and their related co-contaminants in seafood species and their subsequent transfer needs to be thoroughly looked at. The claims of translocation of ingested and inhaled MPs across organs and tissues need underpinning with more scientific evidence. This communication intends to initiate a discussion if MP is “THE” pollutant of Anthropocene. Future studies should consider providing a strong basis to assess the overall impact of MPs on human health and food security.
Chapter
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Corals wrapped in plastic Coral reefs provide vital fisheries and coastal defense, and they urgently need protection from the damaging effects of plastic waste. Lamb et al. surveyed 159 coral reefs in the Asia-Pacific region. Billions of plastic items were entangled in the reefs. The more spikey the coral species, the more likely they were to snag plastic. Disease likelihood increased 20-fold once a coral was draped in plastic. Plastic debris stresses coral through light deprivation, toxin release, and anoxia, giving pathogens a foothold for invasion. Science , this issue p. 460
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It was thought that the Southern Ocean was relatively free of microplastic contamination; however, recent studies and citizen science projects in the Southern Ocean have reported microplastics in deep-sea sediments and surface waters. Here we reviewed available information on microplastics (including macroplastics as a source of microplastics) in the Southern Ocean. We estimated primary microplastic concentrations from personal care products and laundry, and identified potential sources and routes of transmission into the region. Estimates showed the levels of microplastic pollution released into the region from ships and scientific research stations were likely to be negligible at the scale of the Southern Ocean, but may be significant on a local scale. This was demonstrated by the detection of the first microplastics in shallow benthic sediments close to a number of research stations on King George Island. Furthermore, our predictions of primary microplastic concentrations from local sources were five orders of magnitude lower than levels reported in published sampling surveys (assuming an even dispersal at the ocean surface). Sea surface transfer from lower latitudes may contribute, at an as yet unknown level, to Southern Ocean plastic concentrations. Acknowledging the lack of data describing microplastic origins, concentrations, distribution and impacts in the Southern Ocean, we highlight the urgent need for research, and call for routine, standardised monitoring in the Antarctic marine system.
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Microplastics’ (particles size ≤5 mm) sources and fate in marine bottom and beach sediments of the brackish are strongly polluted Baltic Sea have been investigated. Microplastics were extracted using sodium chloride (1.2 g cm⁻³). Their qualitative identification was conducted using micro-Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (μFT-IR). Concentration of microplastics varied from 25 particles kg⁻¹ d.w. at the open sea beach to 53 particles kg⁻¹ d.w. at beaches of strongly urbanized bay. In bottom sediments, microplastics concentration was visibly lower compared to beach sediments (0–27 particles kg⁻¹ d.w.) and decreased from the shore to the open, deep-sea regions. The most frequent microplastics dimensions ranged from 0.1 to 2.0 mm, and transparent fibers were predominant. Polyester, which is a popular fabrics component, was the most common type of microplastic in both marine bottom (50%) and beach sediments (27%). Additionally, poly(vinyl acetate) used in shipbuilding as well as poly(ethylene-propylene) used for packaging were numerous in marine bottom (25% of all polymers) and beach sediments (18% of all polymers). Polymer density seems to be an important factor influencing microplastics circulation. Low density plastic debris probably recirculates between beach sediments and seawater in a greater extent than higher density debris. Therefore, their deposition is potentially limited and physical degradation is favored. Consequently, low density microplastics concentration may be underestimated using current methods due to too small size of the debris. This influences also the findings of qualitative research of microplastics which provide the basis for conclusions about the sources of microplastics in the marine environment.
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Plastic waste is a distinctive indicator of the world-wide impact of anthropogenic activities. Both macro- and micro-plastics are found in the ocean, but as yet little is known about their ultimate fate and their impact on marine ecosystems. In this study we present the first evidence that microplastics are already becoming integrated into deep-water organisms. By examining organisms that live on the deep-sea floor we show that plastic microfibres are ingested and internalised by members of at least three major phyla with different feeding mechanisms. These results demonstrate that, despite its remote location, the deep sea and its fragile habitats are already being exposed to human waste to the extent that diverse organisms are ingesting microplastics.
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Plastic, as a form of marine litter, is found in varying quantities and sizes around the globe from surface waters to deep-sea sediments. Identifying patterns of microplastic distribution will benefit an understanding of the scale of their potential effect on the environment and organisms. As sea ice extent is reducing in the Arctic, heightened shipping and fishing activity may increase marine pollution in the area. Microplastics may enter the region following ocean transport and local input, although baseline contamination measurements are still required. Here we present the first study of microplastics in Arctic waters, south and southwest of Svalbard, Norway. Microplastics were found in surface (top 16cm) and sub-surface (6 depth) samples using two independent techniques. Origins and pathways bringing microplastic to the Arctic remain unclear. Particle composition (95% fibres) suggests they may either result from the breakdown of larger items (transported over large distances by prevailing currents, or derived from local vessel activity), or input in sewage and wastewater from coastal areas. Concurrent observations of high zooplankton abundance suggest a high probability for marine biota to encounter microplastics and a potential for trophic interactions. Further research is required to understand the effects of microplastic-biota interaction within this productive environment.
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Ophioplocus januarii is a common brittle star on soft and hard substrates along the Argentinian and Brazilian coasts. Based on stomach contents, tooth microstructure and field observations we identified its food. Opposed to previous suggestions, O. januarii appears to be a microphagous species feeding on macroalgal fragments (found in 60.0 % of the analyzed stomachs with content), plant debris (28.0 %), animal cuticle structures (13.0 %), and unidentifiable material (30.7 %). Less frequent items found were foraminiferans, ostracods, an amphipod, a juvenile bivalve, and other crustaceans. Electronic microscope revealed digested material, diatoms and small crustacean appendices. Thus, O. januarii is an omnivorous species, feeding mainly on algae, complemented opportunistically with other items. Suspension feeding was observed in the field. It has an fenestrated arrangement intermediate between the previously described uniform and compound teeth. Rev. Biol. Trop. 63 (Suppl. 2): 353-360. Epub 2015 June 01.
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Field sampling of the macrobenthos from 23 stations in the Chukchi Sea was conducted during the 4th CHINARE (Chinese National Arctic Research Expeditions, July–August, 2010). We identified a total of 140 species of macrozoobenthos belonging to nine phyla, which were dominated by polychaetes (66), crustaceans (30), and mollusks (25), followed by echinoderms (9) and others (ten others, including four cnidarians, one oligochaete, one sipuncula, one priapulida, two bryozoans, and one urochordata). The dominant species were Aphelochaeta pacifica, Heteromastus filiformis, Nephtys ciliata, Nephtys caeca, Scoletoma fragilis, Golfingia margaritacea, Nuculana pernula, Macoma calcarea, Ennucula tenuis, Macoma inquinata, Musculus discors, Echinarachnius parma, and Ophiura sarsii, so there were more cold-eurythermal boreal immigrants than truly Arctic species (endemics). The average density and biomass (mean ± SD across all stations) of the total macrozoobenthos were (916 ± 907) ind/m2 and (902.9 ± 1 227.7) g/m2 (wet weight), respectively. Relatively high density and biomass were observed in the samples from the northeastern and southern Chukchi Sea. The spatial variation of benthic communities in the study sea area was relatively large; this spatial heterogeneity has led to high diversity and a patchy distribution pattern in the community structure. Compared to the 1st CHINARE (July–August, 1999), this investigation revealed different degrees of decreases in the average taxa numbers and the average density, abundance, and biodiversity in the area over the recent decade, which might be associated with global warming, human activities, and sea ice variations.
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Marine debris, mostly consisting of plastic, is a global problem, negatively impacting wildlife, tourism and shipping. However, despite the durability of plastic, and the exponential increase in its production, monitoring data show limited evidence of concomitant increasing concentrations in marine habitats. There appears to be a considerable proportion of the manufactured plastic that is unaccounted for in surveys tracking the fate of environmental plastics. Even the discovery of widespread accumulation of microscopic fragments (microplastics) in oceanic gyres and shallow water sediments is unable to explain the missing fraction. Here, we show that deep-sea sediments are a likely sink for microplastics. Microplastic, in the form of fibres, was up to four orders of magnitude more abundant (per unit volume) in deep-sea sediments from the Atlantic Ocean, Mediterranean Sea and Indian Ocean than in contaminated sea-surface waters. Our results show evidence for a large and hitherto unknown repository of microplastics. The dominance of microfibres points to a previously underreported and unsampled plastic fraction. Given the vastness of the deep sea and the prevalence of microplastics at all sites we investigated, the deep-sea floor appears to provide an answer to the question-where is all the plastic?
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Plastic pollution is ubiquitous throughout the marine environment, yet estimates of the global abundance and weight of floating plastics have lacked data, particularly from the Southern Hemisphere and remote regions. Here we report an estimate of the total number of plastic particles and their weight floating in the world’s oceans from 24 expeditions (2007–2013) across all five sub-tropical gyres, costal Australia, Bay of Bengal and the Mediterranean Sea conducting surface net tows (N5680) and visual survey transects of large plastic debris (N5891). Using an oceanographic model of floating debris dispersal calibrated by our data, and correcting for wind-driven vertical mixing, we estimate a minimum of 5.25 trillion particles weighing 268,940 tons. When comparing between four size classes, two microplastic ,4.75 mm and meso- and macroplastic .4.75 mm, a tremendous loss of microplastics is observed from the sea surface compared to expected rates of fragmentation, suggesting there are mechanisms at play that remove ,4.75 mm plastic particles from the ocean surface.
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When sea ice forms it scavenges and concentrates particulates from the water column, which then become trapped until the ice melts. In recent years, melting has led to record lows in Arctic sea ice extent, the most recent in September 2012. Global climate models, such as that of Gregory et al. [2002], suggest that the decline in Arctic sea ice volume (3.4% per decade), will actually exceed the decline in sea ice extent, something that Laxon et al. [2013] have shown supported by satellite data. The extent to which melting ice could release anthropogenic particulates back to the open ocean has not yet been examined. Here we show that Arctic sea ice from remote locations contains concentrations of microplastics at least two orders of magnitude greater than those that have been previously reported in highly contaminated surface waters, such as those of the Pacific Gyre. Our findings indicate that microplastics have accumulated far from population centers and that polar sea ice represents a major historic global sink of man-made particulates. The potential for substantial quantities of legacy microplastic contamination to be released to the ocean as the ice melts therefore needs to be evaluated, as do the physical and toxicological effects of plastics on marine life.
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Ophiura texturata was examined for its food habits at Ellekildehage in the Øresund and the Isefjord, Denmark. Food occurred in 51 % of the O. texturata examined from the Øresund and 55 % of the brittle stars from the Isefjord. The ophiurid ingests at least 41 small epifaunal and infaunal taxa, a variety of miscellaneous items, and sediment. Food analyses suggest that O. texturata is a potential predator of meiofauna, recently settled larvae, and small benthic macrofauna. In both areas, O. texturata utilized common, accessible prey items. In the Isefjord, where recently settled bivalve mollusks were numerous, the ophiurid fed intensively on them. Polychaetous annelids were also important in the latter area. Echinoderms, (primarily ophiurids), small crustaceans, and mollusks (gastropods, bivalves), in decreasing order of importance, were taken in the Øresund. The suggestion that omnivorous species such as O. texturata may be more destructive to newly settled young than are specialized predators, e.g. Natica spp, is reaffirmed. The potential importance of sediment and associated detrital material; items commonly observed in stomachs of O. texturata is discussed. No differences in feeding intensity by O. texturata in the Øresund were detected between spring, summer, and fall periods. A reduction in feeding occurred in winter.
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Millions of metric tons of plastic are produced annually. Countless large items of plastic debris are accumulating in marine habitats worldwide and may persist for centuries ([ 1 ][1]–[ 4 ][2]). Here we show that microscopic plastic fragments and fibers ([Fig. 1A][3]) are also widespread in the
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Microplastics (particles <5 mm) pose a threat to the marine ecosystem that is disproportionate to their tiny size. They have been found in high numbers in sea water and sediments, and are interacting with organisms and the environment in a variety of ways. Recently their presence has been confirmed in Polar water, sediment, and sea ice. We review the recent literature on microplastic distribution and transport in marine environments, primarily in the Northern Hemisphere, summarize current understanding, identify gaps in understanding, and suggest future research priorities.
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Microplastics (MPs) are well-known emerging contaminants in the marine environment. A key route by which MPs can directly affect marine life is through ingestion. The objective of the present study was to evaluate the occurrence of MPs in marine life and seafood for human consumption in the Persian Gulf. We conducted a whole body analysis of MP (between 10 and 5000 mm in diameter) abundance in five species of molluscs with different feeding strategies, including both gastropods and bivalves from the littoral zone of the Iranian coast of the Persian Gulf. The mean number of total encountered MPs in all species ranged from 0.2 to 21.0 particles per g of soft tissue (wet weight) and from 3.7 to 17.7 particles per individual. Overall, microfibres followed by fragments were the most common type of MP isolated in each species (respectively > 50% and z26%). Film (z14%) and pellets (z2%) were less commonly observed. The observed MPs were classified into three size groups (ca. 10e25 mm, 25e250 mm and 250 e5000 mm), and 37e58% of MPs fell into the smallest size group. Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) analysis confirmed the presence of polyethylene (PE), polyethylene terephthalate (PET), and nylon (PA). Our results indicated that molluscan shellfish from the Persian Gulf contain MPs, with higher concentrations in a predatory species, suggesting trophic transfer of MPs in the food web. The consumption of edible species may be a source of human microplastic intake. We compared our results with those previously reported for other regions of the world and identified the need for further studies in the Persian Gulf.
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Monitoring the presence of microplastics (MP) in marine organisms is currently of high importance. This paper presents the qualitative and quantitative MP contamination of two bivalves from the French Atlantic coasts: the blue mussel (Mytilus edulis) and the Pacific oyster (Crassostrea gigas). Three factors potentially influencing the contamination were investigated by collecting at different sampling sites and different seasons, organisms both wild and cultivated. Inter- and intra-species comparisons were also achieved. MP quantity in organisms was evaluated at 0.61. ±. 0.56 and 2.1. ±. 1.7. MP per individual respectively for mussels and oysters. Eight different polymers were identified. Most of the MPs were fragments; about a half of MPs were grey colored and a half with a size ranging from 50 to 100. μm for both studied species. Some inter-specific differences were found but no evidence for sampling site, season or mode of life effect was highlighted.
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To investigate the occurrence and distribution of microplastics in the southeastern coastal region of the United States, we quantified the amount of microplastics in sand samples from multiple coastal sites and developed a predictive model to understand the drift of plastics via ocean currents. Sand samples from eighteen National Park Service (NPS) beaches in the Southeastern Region were collected and microplastics were isolated from each sample. Microplastic counts were compared among sites and local geography was used to make inferences about sources and modes of distribution. Samples were analyzed to identify the composition of particles using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). To predict the spatiotemporal distribution and movements of particles via coastal currents, a Regional Ocean Modeling System (ROMS) was applied. Microplastics were detected in each of the sampled sites although abundance among sites was highly variable. Approximately half of the samples were dominated by thread-like and fibrous materials as opposed to beads and particles. Results of FTIR suggested that 24% consisted of polyethylene terephthalate (PET), while about 68% of the fibers tested were composed of man-made cellulosic materials such as rayon. Based on published studies examining sources of microplastics, the shape of the particles found here (mostly fibers) and the presence of PET, we infer the source of microplastics in coastal areas is mainly from urban areas, such as wastewater discharge, rather than breakdown of larger marine debris drifting in the ocean. Local geographic features, e.g., the nearness of sites to large rivers and urbanized areas, explain variance in amount of microplastics among sites. Additionally, the distribution of simulated particles is explained by ocean current patterns; computer simulations were correlated with field observations, reinforcing the idea that ocean currents can be a good predictor of the fate and distribution of microplastics at the sites sampled here.
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Microplastics are widespread in aquatic environments and can be ingested by a wide range of organisms. They can also be transferred along food webs. Estuaries and other tidal wetlands may be particularly prone to this type of pollution due to their particular hydrological characteristics and sewage input, but few studies have compared wetlands with different anthropogenic pressure. Furthermore, there is no information on microplastic transfer to secondary intertidal consumers such as shorebirds.
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