Microplastics in the marine environment

doi:10.1016/J.MARPOLBUL.2011.05.030

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Microplastics in the marine environment

Journal Article•DOI•

Microplastics in the marine environment

Anthony L. Andrady¹•Institutions (1)

North Carolina State University¹

01 Aug 2011-Marine Pollution Bulletin (Mar Pollut Bull)-Vol. 62, Iss: 8, pp 1596-1605

TL;DR: The mechanisms of generation and potential impacts of microplastics in the ocean environment are discussed, and the increasing levels of plastic pollution of the oceans are understood, it is important to better understand the impact of microPlastic in the Ocean food web.

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About: This article is published in Marine Pollution Bulletin.The article was published on 2011-08-01. It has received 4706 citations till now. The article focuses on the topics: Microplastics & Plastic pollution.

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Journal Article•DOI•

Microplastics as contaminants in the marine environment: a review.

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Matthew Cole¹, P. Lindeque¹, Claudia Halsband², Tamara S. Galloway³•Institutions (3)

Plymouth Marine Laboratory¹, University of Tromsø², University of Exeter³

01 Dec 2011-Marine Pollution Bulletin

TL;DR: Ingestion of microplastics has been demonstrated in a range of marine organisms, a process which may facilitate the transfer of chemical additives or hydrophobic waterborne pollutants to biota.

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3,643 citations

Cites background or methods from "Microplastics in the marine environ..."

...However, this decomposition is only partial: whilst the starch components of the bio-plastic will decompose, an abundance of synthetic polymers will be left behind (Andrady, 2011; Roy et al., 2011; Thompson et al., 2004)....
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...…microbes, decomposition times of even the degradable components of bio-plastics will be prolonged, increasing the probability of the plastic being fouled and subsequently reducing UV permeation on which the degradation process relies (Andrady, 2011; Moore, 2008; O’Brine and Thompson, 2010)....
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...The presence of microplastics can then be determined by examining the samples under a microscope, or allowing evaporation of the seawater and investigating the residue left behind (Andrady, 2011)....
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...Nile Red) can then be used to stain the plastics to assist identification using a range of microscopy techniques (Andrady, 2011)....
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...Fishing gear is one of the most commonly noted plastic debris items with a marine source (Andrady, 2011)....
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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 from "Microplastics in the marine environ..."

...Andrady (2011) states that due to a lack of enzymatic pathways available to break down plastics in filter-feeding organisms, microplastics are unlikely to be digested or absorbed and can therefore be considered bio-inert....
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...…element of marine litter (Moore, 2008; Thompson et al., 2009); the most commonly produced and therefore encountered polymers being polypropylene (PP), polyethylene (PE) and polyvinylchloride (PVC) composing 24%, 21% and 19% of global plastic production in 2007, respectively (Andrady, 2011)....
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...De-fouling in the water column by foraging organisms is a potential pathway for microplastic particles to return to the seaeair interface (Andrady, 2011)....
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..., 2009); the most commonly produced and therefore encountered polymers being polypropylene (PP), polyethylene (PE) and polyvinylchloride (PVC) composing 24%, 21% and 19% of global plastic production in 2007, respectively (Andrady, 2011)....
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Journal Article•DOI•

Plastic debris in the open ocean

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Andrés Cózar¹, Fidel Echevarría¹, J. Ignacio González-Gordillo¹, Xabier Irigoien², Bárbara Úbeda¹, Santiago Hernández-León³, Alvaro T. Palma, Sandra Navarro⁴, Juan García-de-Lomas¹, Andrea Ruiz, María L. Fernández-de-Puelles, Carlos M. Duarte⁵ - Show less +8 more•Institutions (5)

University of Cádiz¹, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology², University of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria³, University of Barcelona⁴, Spanish National Research Council⁵

15 Jul 2014-Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America

TL;DR: Using data from the Malaspina 2010 circumnavigation, regional surveys, and previously published reports, this work shows a worldwide distribution of plastic on the surface of the open ocean, mostly accumulating in the convergence zones of each of the five subtropical gyres with comparable density.

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Abstract: There is a rising concern regarding the accumulation of floating plastic debris in the open ocean. However, the magnitude and the fate of this pollution are still open questions. Using data from the Malaspina 2010 circumnavigation, regional surveys, and previously published reports, we show a worldwide distribution of plastic on the surface of the open ocean, mostly accumulating in the convergence zones of each of the five subtropical gyres with comparable density. However, the global load of plastic on the open ocean surface was estimated to be on the order of tens of thousands of tons, far less than expected. Our observations of the size distribution of floating plastic debris point at important size-selective sinks removing millimeter-sized fragments of floating plastic on a large scale. This sink may involve a combination of fast nano-fragmentation of the microplastic into particles of microns or smaller, their transference to the ocean interior by food webs and ballasting processes, and processes yet to be discovered. Resolving the fate of the missing plastic debris is of fundamental importance to determine the nature and significance of the impacts of plastic pollution in the ocean.

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2,078 citations

Cites background from "Microplastics in the marine environ..."

...Biofouled fragments probably are often incorporated into the sediment in shallow and, particularly, nutrient-rich areas (28), but this may be a less effective mechanism in the deep, open ocean (9, 29)....
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...The abundance of nano-scale plastic particles has still not been quantified in the ocean (9), and the measurements of microplastic in deep ocean are very scarce, although available observations point to a significant abundance of microplastic particles in deep sediments (38), which invokes a mechanism for the vertical transport of plastic particles, such as biofouling or ingestion....
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...Persistent nano-scale particles may be generated during the weathering of plastic debris, although their abundance has not been quantified in ocean waters (9)....
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...Exposure of plastic objects on the surface waters to solar radiation results in their photodegradation, embrittlement, and fragmentation by wave action (9)....
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...Four main possible sinks have been proposed: shore deposition, nanofragmentation, biofouling, and ingestion (3, 9)....
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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 or methods from "Microplastics in the marine environ..."

...Microplastics in environmental samples 175 can currently be detected down to a size of 1 µm, however few environmental studies identify 176 particles <50 µm due to methodological limitations (Hidalgo-Ruz et al., 2012; Imhof et al., 2016)....
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...189 Plastics are susceptible to the effects of UV radiation and high temperatures which can cause chemical 190 changes making plastics brittle and thus more susceptible to fragmentation (Andrady, 2011; Barnes et 191 al., 2009; Hidalgo-Ruz et al., 2012; Ivar do Sul and Costa, 2014; Rillig, 2012; Shah et al., 2008)....
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...17 separation, the specific parameters of methods differ between studies regarding volume of sample 387 studied, upper and lower particle size limits, density separation media and particle identification 388 criteria (Besley et al., 2016; Hidalgo-Ruz et al., 2012)....
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...…of organic matter and density 386 separation, the specific parameters of methods differ between studies regarding volume of sample 387 studied, upper and lower particle size limits, density separation media and particle identification 388 criteria (Besley et al., 2016; Hidalgo-Ruz et al., 2012)....
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...…susceptible to the effects of UV radiation and high temperatures which can cause chemical 190 changes making plastics brittle and thus more susceptible to fragmentation (Andrady, 2011; Barnes et 191 al., 2009; Hidalgo-Ruz et al., 2012; Ivar do Sul and Costa, 2014; Rillig, 2012; Shah et al., 2008)....
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References

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Journal Article•DOI•

Lost at sea: where is all the plastic?

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Richard C. Thompson¹, Ylva S. Olsen¹, Richard P. Mitchell¹, Anthony Davis¹, Steven J. Rowland¹, Anthony W. G. John, Daniel F. McGonigle², Andrea E. Russell² - Show less +4 more•Institutions (2)

University of Plymouth¹, University of Southampton²

07 May 2004-Science

TL;DR: It is shown that microscopic plastic fragments and fibers are also widespread in the marine environment and may persist for centuries.

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Abstract: 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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4,067 citations

"Microplastics in the marine environ..." refers background in this paper

...Microplastics, a form of man-made litter, have been accumulating in the oceans for at least over the last four decades (Thompson et al., 2004, 2005)....
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Journal Article•DOI•

Accumulation and fragmentation of plastic debris in global environments.

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David K. A. Barnes¹, François Galgani², Richard C. Thompson³, Morton A. Barlaz⁴•Institutions (4)

British Antarctic Survey¹, IFREMER², University of Plymouth³, North Carolina State University⁴

27 Jul 2009-Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B

TL;DR: Global plastics production and the accumulation of plastic waste are documented, showing that trends in mega- and macro-plastic accumulation rates are no longer uniformly increasing and that the average size of plastic particles in the environment seems to be decreasing.

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Abstract: One of the most ubiquitous and long-lasting recent changes to the surface of our planet is the accumulation and fragmentation of plastics. Within just a few decades since mass production of plastic...

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4,044 citations

"Microplastics in the marine environ..." refers background in this paper

...A recent significant finding is that minute fragments of plastic debris, termed microplastics, occur in oceans worldwide (Barnes et al., 2009) including even in Antarctica (Zarfl and Matthies, 2010)....
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...Particles of plastics that have dimensions ranging from a few lm to 500 lm (5 mm) are commonly present in sea water (Ng and Obbard, 2006; Barnes et al., 2009)....
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...) Particles of plastics that have dimensions ranging from a few lm to 500 lm (5 mm) are commonly present in sea water (Ng and Obbard, 2006; Barnes et al., 2009)....
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...(Barnes et al., 2009) including even in Antarctica (Zarfl and Matthies, 2010)....
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Journal Article•DOI•

Bacterial biofilms in nature and disease.

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J. W. Costerton¹, K.-J. Cheng, Gill G. Geesey, T I Ladd, J C Nickel, M. K. Dasgupta, T J Marrie - Show less +3 more•Institutions (1)

University of Calgary¹

01 Jan 1987-Annual Review of Microbiology

3,200 citations

Journal Article•DOI•

The pollution of the marine environment by plastic debris: a review.

[...]

José G. B. Derraik¹•Institutions (1)

University of Otago¹

01 Sep 2002-Marine Pollution Bulletin

TL;DR: The deleterious effects of plastic debris on the marine environment were reviewed by bringing together most of the literature published so far on the topic, and a variety of approaches are urgently required to mitigate the problem.

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3,084 citations

"Microplastics in the marine environ..." refers background in this paper

...…reports on the unexpectedly high incidence of plastic debris in the North Pacific gyre (Moore et al., 2001, 2001a, 2002; Moore, 2008) this interest has culminated in defining the topic as a high-priority research area in Marine Biology (Derraik, 2002; Page and McKenzie, 2004; Arthur et al., 2009)....
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...With recent reports on the unexpectedly high incidence of plastic debris in the North Pacific gyre (Moore et al., 2001, 2001a, 2002; Moore, 2008) this interest has culminated in defining the topic as a high-priority research area in Marine Biology (Derraik, 2002; Page and McKenzie, 2004; Arthur et al., 2009)....
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Journal Article•DOI•

Human exposure to bisphenol A (BPA).

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Laura N. Vandenberg¹, Russ Hauser², Michele Marcus³, Nicolás Olea⁴, Wade V. Welshons⁵ - Show less +1 more•Institutions (5)

Tufts University¹, Harvard University², Emory University³, University of Granada⁴, University of Missouri⁵

01 Aug 2007-Reproductive Toxicology

TL;DR: The reported levels of BPA in human fluids are higher than the BPA concentrations reported to stimulate molecular endpoints in vitro and appear to be within an order of magnitude of the levels needed to induce effects in animal models.

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2,391 citations

"Microplastics in the marine environ..." refers background in this paper

...{An example of residual monomer is illustrated by the recent issue on residual bis-phenol A (BPA) in polycarbonates products (Vandenberg et al., 2007)....
[...]