Plastic debris in the open ocean
Andrés Cózar,Fidel Echevarría,J. Ignacio González-Gordillo,Xabier Irigoien,Bárbara Úbeda,Santiago Hernández-León,Alvaro T. Palma,Sandra Navarro,Juan García-de-Lomas,Andrea Ruiz,María L. Fernández-de-Puelles,Carlos M. Duarte +11 more
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TLDR
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.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.read more
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Observation and quantification of inertial effects on the drift of floating objects at the ocean surface
María J. Olascoaga,Francisco J. Beron-Vera,P. Miron,Joaquin Trinanes,Joaquin Trinanes,Joaquin Trinanes,Nathan F. Putman,Rick Lumpkin,Gustavo Goni +8 more
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors present results from an experiment designed to better understand the mechanism by which ocean currents and winds control flotsam drift, and explain the differences in the trajectories described by the special drifters as a result of their inertia, primarily buoyancy.
Journal ArticleDOI
Biochar-facilitated remediation of nanoplastic contaminated water: Effect of pyrolysis temperature induced surface modifications.
TL;DR: In this article, three types of biochar were synthesized at three different pyrolysis temperatures, i.e. 350, 550, and 750℃, and evaluated for their potential in removing nanoplastics.
Journal ArticleDOI
Effect of the state of water and relative humidity on ageing of PLA films.
Jeancarlo R. Rocca-Smith,N. Chau,Dominique Champion,Claire-Hélène Brachais,Eva Marcuzzo,Alessandro Sensidoni,Francesca Piasente,Thomas Karbowiak,Frédéric Debeaufort +8 more
TL;DR: It is shown that both the chemical potential of water and its physical state influence the hydrolytic degradation of PLA films, which is very well suited for semi-dry foods, but is highly sensitive to high moisture and liquid foods.
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Surface Connectivity and Interocean Exchanges From Drifter-Based Transition Matrices
Ronan McAdam,Erik van Sebille +1 more
TL;DR: In this paper, a sensitivity analysis of Markov Chain parameters is performed in an idealized Stommel gyre and western boundary current as well as with observed ocean drifters, complementing previous studies on widespread floating debris accumulation.
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Trapping of plastics in semi-enclosed seas: Insights from the Bohai Sea, China.
TL;DR: 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.
References
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