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Microplastic emissions from fishing ropes: Quantification, characteristics, and implications for marine pollution
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Researchers quantified microplastics generated from the mechanical abrasion of polypropylene-based fishing ropes and found that over 92% of released particles were non-fiber fragments rather than fibers. Each additional kilogram of hauling weight produced roughly 1.4 extra microplastic particles per meter of rope. Global estimates suggest that fishing rope abrasion alone releases approximately 768 trillion microplastic particles annually, highlighting fishing gear as a substantial and often overlooked source of marine microplastic pollution.
This study quantifies and characterizes microplastics generated through the mechanical abrasion of fishing ropes, a significant yet often overlooked source of marine microplastic pollution. A custom-designed hauler system was used to evaluate the quantity, size distribution, and morphology of microplastics released from polypropylene-based co-polymer ropes under varying hauling weights (5-50 kg) and operational frequencies (1-20 cycles). The results indicated that 92 ± 3% of the released microplastics were non-fiber fragments, closely resembling those observed in Korean coastal waters. A linear regression analysis revealed that each 1 kg increase in hauling weight produced an additional 1.383 microplastic particles per meter. Global estimates suggest that abrasion from new ropes releases approximately 768 trillion microplastic particles (2.8 kilotons) annually. These findings emphasize the substantial contribution of fishing gear abrasion to marine microplastic pollution. Future research is needed to explore polymer-specific fragmentation, environmental weathering, and the fate of particles to refine emission estimates.
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When a large batch of papers lands in the Atlas, we read through it and send a short write-up of what stood out.