A rapid method for assessing the accumulation of microplastics in the sea surface microlayer (SML) of estuarine systems.

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Date
2018Author
Anderson, Zachary T.
Cundy, Andrew B.
Croudace, Ian W.
Warwick, Phillip E.
Celis-Hernandez, Omar
Stead, Jessica L.
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Microplastics are an increasingly important contaminant in the marine environment. Depending on
their composition and degree of biofouling, many common microplastics are less dense than seawater
and so tend to float at or near the ocean surface. As such, they may exhibit high concentrations in the
sea surface microlayer (SML – the upper 1–1000 μm of the ocean) relative to deeper water. This paper
examines the accumulation of microplastics, in particular microfibres, in the SML in two contrasting
estuarine systems – the Hamble estuary and the Beaulieu estuary, southern U.K., via a novel and rapid
SML-selective sampling method using a dipped glass plate. Microplastic concentrations (for identified
fibres, of 0.05 to 4.5 mm length) were highest in the SML-selective samples (with a mean concentration
of 43 ± 36 fibres/L), compared to <5 fibres/L for surface and sub-surface bulk water samples. Data
collected show the usefulness of the dipped glass plate method as a rapid and inexpe.....
Resource URL
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-018-27612-wJournal
Scientific ReportsVolume
8Issue
Article 9428Page Range
11pp.Document Language
enSustainable Development Goals (SDG)
14Best Practice Type
Manual (incl. handbook, guide, cookbook etc)Spatial Coverage
R. Hamble EstuaryR. Beaulieu Estuary
DOI Original
10.1038/s41598-018-27612-wCitation
Anderson, Z.T.; Cundy, A.B.; Croudace, I.W.; Warwick, P.E.; Celis-Hernandez, O. and 2 & Stead, J.L. (2018) A rapid method for assessing the accumulation of microplastics in the sea surface microlayer (SML) of estuarine systems. Scientific Reports. 8, 9428. 11pp. DOI:https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-018-27612-wCollections
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