Accumulation of Microplastic on Shorelines Woldwide: Sources and Sinks

doi:10.1021/ES201811S

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Accumulation of Microplastic on Shorelines Woldwide: Sources and Sinks

Journal Article•DOI•

Accumulation of Microplastic on Shorelines Woldwide: Sources and Sinks

Mark Anthony Browne¹, Mark Anthony Browne², Mark Anthony Browne³, Phillip Crump¹, S. J. Niven¹, Emma L. Teuten¹, Andrew Tonkin¹, Tamara S. Galloway⁴, Richard C. Thompson¹ - Show less +5 more•Institutions (4)

University of Plymouth¹, University College Dublin², University of Sydney³, University of Exeter⁴

04 Oct 2011-Environmental Science & Technology (American Chemical Society)-Vol. 45, Iss: 21, pp 9175-9179

TL;DR: It is shown that microplastic contaminates the shorelines at 18 sites worldwide representing six continents from the poles to the equator, with more material in densely populated areas, but no clear relationship between the abundance of miocroplastics and the mean size-distribution of natural particulates.

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Abstract: Plastic debris 1900 fibers per wash. This suggests that a large proportion of microplastic fibers found in the marine environment may be derived from sewage as a consequence of washing of clothes. As the human population grows and people use more synthetic textiles, contamination of habitats and animals by microplastic is likely to increase.

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Journal Article•DOI•

Microplastics in the Marine Environment: A Review of the Methods Used for Identification and Quantification

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Valeria Hidalgo-Ruz¹, Lars Gutow², Richard C. Thompson³, Martin Thiel¹•Institutions (3)

Catholic University of the North¹, Alfred Wegener Institute for Polar and Marine Research², University of Plymouth³

02 Mar 2012-Environmental Science & Technology

TL;DR: This review of 68 studies compares the methodologies used for the identification and quantification of microplastics from the marine environment and suggests standardized sampling procedures which allow the spatiotemporal comparison ofmicroplastic abundance across marine environments.

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Abstract: This review of 68 studies compares the methodologies used for the identification and quantification of microplastics from the marine environment. Three main sampling strategies were identified: selective, volume-reduced, and bulk sampling. Most sediment samples came from sandy beaches at the high tide line, and most seawater samples were taken at the sea surface using neuston nets. Four steps were distinguished during sample processing: density separation, filtration, sieving, and visual sorting of microplastics. Visual sorting was one of the most commonly used methods for the identification of microplastics (using type, shape, degradation stage, and color as criteria). Chemical and physical characteristics (e.g., specific density) were also used. The most reliable method to identify the chemical composition of microplastics is by infrared spectroscopy. Most studies reported that plastic fragments were polyethylene and polypropylene polymers. Units commonly used for abundance estimates are “items per m2” ...

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3,119 citations

Journal Article•DOI•

The physical impacts of microplastics on marine organisms: a review.

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Stephanie L. Wright¹, Richard C. Thompson², Tamara S. Galloway¹•Institutions (2)

University of Exeter¹, University of Plymouth²

31 Jul 2013-Environmental Pollution

TL;DR: This review focuses on marine invertebrates and their susceptibility to the physical impacts of microplastic uptake and an assessment of the relative susceptibility of different feeding guilds.

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2,809 citations

Cites background or result from "Accumulation of Microplastic on Sho..."

...This corresponds with recent studies, which have found a prevalence of microplastic fibres in coastal sediments (Browne et al., 2011; Claessens et al., 2011)....
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...Browne et al. (2011) found microplastics on eighteen shores across six continents, with a tendency towards fibrous shapes....
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...Concentrations of plastic fibres ( 1 mm) ranging from 2 (Australia) to 31 (Portugal) fibres 250 ml 1 contaminated 18 shores across six continents, with concentration positively correlating with population density (Browne et al., 2011)....
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...Maximum concentrations of 124 fibres l 1 were reported and a significant relationship between microplastic abundance and human population-density was found (Browne et al., 2011)....
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Journal Article•DOI•

Microplastics in freshwater and terrestrial environments: Evaluating the current understanding to identify the knowledge gaps and future research priorities.

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Alice A. Horton¹, Alexander Walton², David J. Spurgeon, Elma Lahive, Claus Svendsen - Show less +1 more•Institutions (2)

Leiden University¹, University of Exeter²

15 May 2017-Science of The Total Environment

TL;DR: This review critically evaluates the current literature on the presence, behaviour and fate of microplastics in freshwater and terrestrial environments and, where appropriate, draws on relevant studies from other fields including nanotechnology, agriculture and waste management.

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1,864 citations

Cites background from "Accumulation of Microplastic on Sho..."

...An additional source of 200 secondary microplastics is derived from synthetic fabrics, which can shed up to 1900 fibres per 201 garment during washing (Browne et al., 2011)....
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...…identified by many 233 studies as the most abundant microplastic particle type found throughout freshwater, terrestrial and 234 marine environments (Browne et al., 2011; Dubaish and Liebezeit, 2013; Free et al., 2014; Zubris and 235 Richards, 2005), with primary microbeads from personal care…...
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...In these 264 cases, plastic particles are likely to be well-contained and so unlikely to leach into the surrounding 265 environment (Browne et al., 2011; Cieślik et al., 2015; Dubaish and Liebezeit, 2013; Rillig, 2012; Zubris 266 and Richards, 2005)....
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Journal Article•DOI•

Microplastic Ingestion by Zooplankton

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Matthew Cole¹, P. Lindeque¹, Elaine S. Fileman¹, Claudia Halsband², Rhys M. Goodhead³, Julian Moger³, Tamara S. Galloway³ - Show less +3 more•Institutions (3)

Plymouth Marine Laboratory¹, University of Tromsø², University of Exeter³

06 Jun 2013-Environmental Science & Technology

TL;DR: It is shown that microplastics are ingested by, and may impact upon, zooplankton, and imply that marine microplastic debris can negatively impact upon zoopLankton function and health.

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Abstract: Small plastic detritus, termed “microplastics”, are a widespread and ubiquitous contaminant of marine ecosystems across the globe. Ingestion of microplastics by marine biota, including mussels, worms, fish, and seabirds, has been widely reported, but despite their vital ecological role in marine food-webs, the impact of microplastics on zooplankton remains under-researched. Here, we show that microplastics are ingested by, and may impact upon, zooplankton. We used bioimaging techniques to document ingestion, egestion, and adherence of microplastics in a range of zooplankton common to the northeast Atlantic, and employed feeding rate studies to determine the impact of plastic detritus on algal ingestion rates in copepods. Using fluorescence and coherent anti-Stokes Raman scattering (CARS) microscopy we identified that thirteen zooplankton taxa had the capacity to ingest 1.7–30.6 μm polystyrene beads, with uptake varying by taxa, life-stage and bead-size. Post-ingestion, copepods egested faecal pellets lade...

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1,832 citations

Journal Article•DOI•

Microplastics in freshwater systems: A review of the emerging threats, identification of knowledge gaps and prioritisation of research needs

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Dafne Eerkes-Medrano¹, Richard C. Thompson², David C. Aldridge¹•Institutions (2)

University of Cambridge¹, University of Plymouth²

15 May 2015-Water Research

TL;DR: The issue of microplastics in freshwater systems is reviewed to summarise current understanding, identify knowledge gaps and suggest future research priorities.

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1,688 citations

Cites background from "Accumulation of Microplastic on Sho..."

...These secondary source microplastics are therefore also likely to have long residence times in freshwater systems (Zubris and Richards, 2005; Browne et al., 2011), whether they be natural water bodies (rivers and lakes), modified water bodies (e.g. dammed reservoirs), or artificial water bodies…...
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...Their presence has been noted on coastlines of all continents (e.g. Browne et al., 2011; Zurcher, 2009; Ivar do Sul and Costa, 2007), in remote locations such as midAtlantic archipelago islands (Ivar do Sul et al., 2009; Ivar do Sul et al., 2013), sub Antarctic islands (Eriksson et al., 2013), the…...
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...Plastic debris items, ranging in size from themicroscopic to itemsmetres in size, are found in benthic and pelagic habitats in all oceans, and in remote locations such as the Arctic, Southern Ocean and the deep sea (Barnes et al., 2009, 2010; Browne et al., 2011; Van Cauwenberghe et al., 2013; Obbard et al., 2014)....
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...These secondary source microplastics are therefore also likely to have long residence times in freshwater systems (Zubris and Richards, 2005; Browne et al., 2011), whether they be natural water bodies (rivers...
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...We have a poor understanding of degradation rates and of fragmentation, and this is of concern because the spread and abundance of microplastics is increasing (Browne et al., 2011; Law and Thompson, 2014)....
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Journal Article•DOI•

A Thermodynamic Approach for Assessing the Environmental Exposure of Chemicals Absorbed to Microplastic

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Todd Gouin¹, Nicola L Roche¹, Rainer Lohmann², Geoff Hodges¹•Institutions (2)

University of Bedfordshire¹, University of Rhode Island²

26 Jan 2011-Environmental Science & Technology

TL;DR: The relative importance of microplastic as a vector of PBT substances to biological organisms is likely of limited importance, relative to other exposure pathways, and a number of data-gaps are identified, largely associated with improving the understanding of the physical fate ofmicroplastic in the environment.

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Abstract: The environmental distribution and fate of microplastic in the marine environment represents a potential cause of concern. One aspect is the influence that microplastic may have on enhancing the transport and bioavailability of persistent, bioaccumulative, and toxic substances (PBT). In this study we assess these potential risks using a thermodynamic approach, aiming to prioritize the physicochemical properties of chemicals that are most likely absorbed by microplastic and therefore ingested by biota. Using a multimedia modeling approach, we define a chemical space aimed at improving our understanding of how chemicals partition in the marine environment with varying volume ratios of air/water/organic carbon/polyethylene, where polyethylene represents a main group of microplastic. Results suggest that chemicals with log KOW > 5 have the potential to partition >1% to polyethylene. Food-web model results suggest that reductions in body burden concentrations for nonpolar organic chemicals are likely to occur ...

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374 citations

Journal Article•DOI•

Plastic ‘scrubbers’ in hand cleansers: a further (and minor) source for marine pollution identified

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Murray R. Gregory¹•Institutions (1)

University of Auckland¹

01 Dec 1996-Marine Pollution Bulletin

TL;DR: In this article, small, inconspicuous fragments of plastic, generally < 0.5 mm across, derived from some hand cleaners and cosmetic preparations, and also used with some airblast cleaning media, are an unusual addition to post-consumer waste entering marine waters.

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337 citations

Journal Article•DOI•

Distribution and fate of neutral alkylphenol ethoxylate metabolites in a sewage-impacted urban estuary.

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P L Ferguson¹, Charles R. Iden², Bruce J. Brownawell²•Institutions (2)

State University of New York System¹, Marine Sciences Research Center²

10 May 2001-Environmental Science & Technology

TL;DR: Results from the present work indicate that the fate of APEO metabolites entering the estuarine environment through discharge of wastewater is directed primarily by scavenging onto particles and subsequent burial in sediments, degradation during residence in the water column, and transport out of the estuary through advective and dispersive processes.

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Abstract: The distribution and fate of neutral metabolites of the alkylphenol ethoxylate (APEO) surfactants in an urbanized estuarine environment were examined utilizing a recently developed, highly sensitive LC-MS method. Results indicated that short ethoxyl-chain APEOs and alkylphenols (APs) were present in surficial sediments throughout the estuary at concentrations roughly correlated to the organic carbon content of the sediment and that the APEO mixture was dominated by nonylphenol ethoxylate (NPEOs) metabolites (0.05-30 microg/g), with lesser amounts of octylphenol ethoxylate metabolites (OPEOs)(<0.005-0.09 microg/ g) and halogenated nonylphenols (<0.001-0.03 microg/g). NPEO metabolites in surface water (0.22-1.05 microg/L) were also present at higher concentrations than OPEO metabolites (0.007-0.040 microg/L). APEO metabolite concentrations in both sediment and water showed a strong correlation with conventional sewage tracers, affirming a wastewater source of these contaminants. APEO distributions in surface waters within the estuary could be explained by a combination of post-discharge degradation and mixing with a seawater end-member enriched in OPEO metabolites. Measured in situ Koc values of APEO metabolites were comparable to previously reported values derived from field experiments but higher than Kow and Koc values derived from laboratory experiments. Results from the present work indicate that the fate of APEO metabolites entering the estuarine environment through discharge of wastewater is directed primarily by scavenging onto particles and subsequent burial in sediments, degradation during residence in the water column, and transport out of the estuary through advective and dispersive processes.

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261 citations

Journal Article•DOI•

Description of the small plastics fragments in marine sediments along the Alang-Sosiya ship-breaking yard, India

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M. Srinivasa Reddy¹, Shaik Basha¹, Subbarayappa Adimurthy¹, Gadde Ramachandraiah¹•Institutions (1)

Central Salt and Marine Chemicals Research Institute¹

01 Jul 2006-Estuarine Coastal and Shelf Science

TL;DR: In this paper, the accumulation of small plastic debris in the intertidal sediments of the world's largest ship-breaking yard at Alang-Sosiya, India was assessed.

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Abstract: This study aimed to assess the accumulation of small plastic debris in the intertidal sediments of the world's largest ship-breaking yard at Alang-Sosiya, India. Small plastics fragments were collected by flotation and separated according to their basic polymer type under a microscope, and subsequently identified by FT-IR spectroscopy as polyurethane, nylon, polystyrene, polyester and glass wool. The morphology of these materials was also studied using a scanning electron microscope. Overall, there were on average 81 mg of small plastics fragments per kg of sediment. The described plastic fragments are believed to have resulted directly from the ship-breaking activities at the site.

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240 citations

Journal Article•DOI•

Another source of pollution by plastics skin cleaners with plastic scrubbers

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V. Zitko, M. Hanlon

01 Jan 1991-Marine Pollution Bulletin

209 citations