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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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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Micro (nano) plastics in wastewater: A critical review on toxicity risk assessment, behaviour, environmental impact and challenges
Joginder Singh,Andreas Krämer +1 more
TL;DR: In this paper , a detailed review on the toxic effects of nanoplastics on various organisms and their degradation rates in soil and water matrices is provided, and the suitability of small and large-scale separation techniques for the removal of nanoparticles in wastewater treatment plants is also discussed.
Book ChapterDOI
The Problem of Marine Plastic Debris
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors present the problem of marine plastic pollution, the geographic distribution of plastic debris, the origins of marine-based plastics, physical types (macro-, micro-, or nanoplastics), the conditions (floating, submerged, or beach plastics), and the identities (chemical nature) of the main types of plastics found in the marine environment.
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TL;DR: In this article, the authors conducted a pilot study, examining the rate of plastic ingestion in 27 commercially caught sardines (Sardinops sagax) from a low populated coastal region of Western Australia.
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Ingestion and elimination of anthropogenic fibres and microplastic fragments by the European anchovy ( Engraulis encrasicolus ) of the NW Mediterranean Sea
TL;DR: This study analysed the anthropogenic microparticles in the stomach content of the European anchovy in the Ligurian Sea to understand the processes that regulate the abundance and the residential time of anthropogenic particles in commercial organisms captured for human nutrition.
Journal ArticleDOI
Scavenging as a pathway for plastic ingestion by marine animals.
Ryan Andrades,Roberta Aguiar dos Santos,Agnaldo Silva Martins,Davi Teles,Robson Guimarães dos Santos +4 more
TL;DR: It is argued that opportunistic scavenging behavior, an adaptive behavior in most marine ecosystems, may now pose a threat to a variety of marine animals due to the current widespread plastic pollution found in oceans.
References
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Microplastics in the marine environment
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.
Journal ArticleDOI
Lost at sea: where is all the plastic?
Richard C. Thompson,Ylva S. Olsen,Richard P. Mitchell,Anthony Davis,Steven J. Rowland,Anthony W. G. John,Daniel F. McGonigle,Andrea E. Russell +7 more
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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Journal ArticleDOI
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TL;DR: Model calculations and experimental observations consistently show that polyethylene accumulates more organic contaminants than other plastics such as polypropylene and polyvinyl chloride, and PCBs could transfer from contaminated plastics to streaked shearwater chicks.