Sources and sinks of plastic debris in estuaries: A conceptual model integrating biological, physical and chemical distribution mechanisms.
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors designed conceptual models of the local and estuary-wide transport of plastics and identified processes affecting the position of plastics in the water column; processes related to the mixing of fresh and salt water; and processes resulting from the influences of wind, topography, and organism-plastic interactions.
About: This article is published in Marine Pollution Bulletin.The article was published on 2016-12-15. It has received 121 citations till now. The article focuses on the topics: Context (language use).
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TL;DR: The trajectory and speed of microplastics are controlled by their physical characteristics (density, size, and shape) and ocean dynamic conditions (wind, waves, tides, thermohaline gradients, and the influence of benthic sediments) as mentioned in this paper.
Abstract: Microplastic pollution of the marine environment has received increasing attention from scientists, the public, and policy makers over the last few years Marine microplastics predominantly originate near the coast and can remain in the nearshore zone for some time However, at present, there is little understanding of the fate and transport of microplastics in coastal regions This paper provides a comprehensive overview of the physical processes involved in the movement of microplastics from estuaries to the continental shelf The trajectory and speed of microplastics are controlled by their physical characteristics (density, size, and shape) and ocean dynamic conditions (wind, waves, tides, thermohaline gradients, and the influence of benthic sediments) Microplastic particles can be subjected to beaching, surface drifting, vertical mixing, and biofouling, as well as bed-load and suspended load transport processes, until reaching terminal deposition on beaches, in coastal marshes, in benthic sediments or until they are carried by ocean currents to subtropical convergence zones The dynamic interaction of released microplastics with the shoreline is regulated by onshore/offshore transport, which is impacted by the source location as well as the geometry, vegetation, tidal regime, and wave direction Wind and wave conditions dominate surface drifting of buoyant particles through Ekman drift, windage, and Stokes drift mechanisms Neustic microplastic particles travel in the subsurface because of vertical mixing through wind-driven Langmuir circulation and heat cycling Increasing accumulation of microplastics in benthic sediments needs to be quantitatively explored in terms of biofouling, deposition, entrainment, and transport dynamics Further studies are required to understand the following: 1) the primary parameters (eg, windage, terminal velocity, diffusivity, critical shear stress) that determine microplastic transport in different pathways; 2) dynamic distribution of microplastics in various coastal landscapes (eg, wetlands, beaches, estuaries, lagoons, barrier islands, depocenters) regulated by hydrodynamic conditions; and 3) interactions between the physical transport processes and biochemical reactions (degradation, flocculation, biofouling, ingestions)
396 citations
Cites background from "Sources and sinks of plastic debris..."
...In comparison, only a few studies have been carried out to characterize the physical transport of microplastics (Critchell and Lambrechts, 2016; Vermeiren et al., 2016)....
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...…turbulence, as well as freshwater induced stratification and plume fronts) act on microplastic particles to follow advection, dispersion, suspension, and settling pathways (Sadri and Thompson, 2014; Lima et al., 2015; Eerkes-Medrano et al., 2015; Vermeiren et al., 2016; Krelling et al., 2017)....
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...The horizontal and vertical gradient of specific gravity might be a controlling factor determining the distribution of certain types of plastics in the water column (Lima et al., 2015; Vermeiren et al., 2016)....
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...…spatial distribution of microplastic indicates that dynamic patterns are shaped by climatic forces and coastal transport processes (Yoon et al., 2010; Ballent et al., 2013; Isobe et al., 2014; Liubartseva et al., 2016; Critchell et al., 2015; Critchell and Lambrechts, 2016; Vermeiren et al., 2016)....
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TL;DR: It is reported for the first time the presence of this pollutant in fish populations from the Mondego estuary raising concerns on their potential negative effects.
349 citations
TL;DR: The sludge of the WWTP sampled in this work, would disseminate 8 × 1011 plastic particles per year if improperly managed and the agricultural use of sludge as soil amendment in the area of Madrid could spread up to 1013 microplastic particles in agricultural soils per year.
290 citations
TL;DR: The main contribution of this study is a new insight on the distribution of MPs across different environmental matrices in river estuaries, where estuarine benthic sediments were identified as a potential important sink for MPs.
162 citations
TL;DR: Within the Tejo estuary, concentration of microfibers in the sediment and bivalves were positively related with the percentage of fine sediments and with the population size of the closest township, suggesting that hydrodynamics and local domestic sewage are the main factors influencing the distribution of microFibers.
154 citations
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TL;DR: In this paper, the authors have estimated the current economic value of 17 ecosystem services for 16 biomes, based on published studies and a few original calculations, for the entire biosphere, the value (most of which is outside the market) is estimated to be in the range of US$16-54 trillion (10^(12)) per year, with an average of US $33 trillion per year.
Abstract: The services of ecological systems and the natural capital stocks that produce them are critical to the functioning of the Earth's life-support system. They contribute to human welfare, both directly and indirectly, and therefore represent part of the total economic value of the planet. We have estimated the current economic value of 17 ecosystem services for 16 biomes, based on published studies and a few original calculations. For the entire biosphere, the value (most of which is outside the market) is estimated to be in the range of US$16-54 trillion (10^(12)) per year, with an average of US$33 trillion per year. Because of the nature of the uncertainties, this must be considered a minimum estimate. Global gross national product total is around US$18 trillion per year.
18,139 citations
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.
4,706 citations
TL;DR: It is shown that microscopic plastic fragments and fibers are also widespread in the marine environment and may persist for centuries.
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
4,067 citations
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.
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...
4,044 citations
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.
3,643 citations