Microplastic abundance, distribution and composition along a latitudinal gradient in the Atlantic Ocean

MARINE POLLUTION BULLETIN

卷:115

Article

Kanhai, La Daana K.¹  Officer, Rick¹  Lyashevska, Olga¹  Thompson, Richard C.²  O'Connor, Ian¹ 

[1] Galway Mayo Inst Technol, Marine & Freshwater Res Ctr, Dublin Rd, Galway, Ireland

[2] Univ Plymouth, Marine Biol & Ecol Res Ctr, Sch Marine Sci & Engn, Plymouth PL4 8AA, Devon, England

关键词: Microplastic;    Sub-surface waters;    Upwelling;    Atlantic Ocean;    Marine debris;   

DOI  :  10.1016/j.marpolbul.2016.12.025

来源: Elsevier

【 摘 要 】

Microplastics in the world's oceans are a global concern due to the potential threat they pose to marine organisms. This study investigated microplastic abundance, distribution and composition in the Atlantic Ocean on a transect from the Bay of Biscay to Cape Town, South Africa. Microplastics were sampled from sub-surface waters using the underway system of the RV Polarstern. Potential microplastics were isolated from samples and FT-IR spectroscopy was used to identify polymer types. Of the particles analysed, 63% were rayon and 37% were synthetic polymers. The majority of microplastics were identified as polyesters (49%) and blends of polyamide or acrylic/polyester (43%). Overall, fibres (94%) were predominant. Average microplastic abundance in the Atlantic Ocean was 1.15 +/- 1.45 particles m(-3). Of the 76 samples, 14 were from the Benguela upwelling and there was no statistically significant difference in microplastic abundance between upwelled and non-upwelled sites. (C) 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

【 授权许可】

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