Trapping of plastics in semi-enclosed seas: Insights from the Bohai Sea, China

MARINE POLLUTION BULLETIN

卷:137

Article

Li, Yanfang¹  Wolanski, Eric²  Dai, Zhenfei¹  Lambrechts, Jonathan³  Tang, Cheng¹  Zhang, Hua¹ 

[1] Chinese Acad Sci, Yantai Inst Coastal Zone Res, Key Lab Coastal Zone Environm Proc & Ecol Remedia, Beijing, Shandong, Peoples R China

[2] James Cook Univ, TropWATER & Coll Sci & Engn, Townsville, Qld 4810, Australia

[3] Catholic Univ Louvain, Inst Mech Mat & Civil Engn IMMC, B-1348 Louvain La Neuve, Belgium

关键词: Microplastics;    Degradation;    Settling;    Wind effect;    Currents;    Source input;   

DOI  :  10.1016/j.marpolbul.2018.10.038

来源: Elsevier

【 摘 要 】

Microplastics are abundant in semi-enclosed seas, presumably because of local trapping. To investigate this trapping effect, we confronted the SLIM plastic oceanography model with field data of the distribution of microplastics in the Bohai Sea, China. Seven source locations were selected to reveal the fate of plastic debris from industrial and domestic usages. The model predictions compared well with the observed distribution of microplastics, highlighting that most plastics were trapped in the Bohai Sea. The model suggests that microplastics distribution within the Bohai Sea both in the water and on the bottom varies seasonally with wind and currents and depends on a complex interaction between source locations, prevailing hydrodynamic conditions, degradation, settling and resuspension rates. Further field studies are warranted to enable the models to better parameterize the fate of microplastics, and particularly the accumulation zones, in other poorly flushed semi enclosed seas worldwide, where microplastics should be classified as a persistent pollutant.

【 授权许可】

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