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Origin and intra-annual variability of vertical microplastic fluxes in Fram Strait, Arctic Ocean
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Sediment trap data from Fram Strait in the Arctic Ocean revealed temporal and spatial variability in vertical microplastic fluxes, with MP concentrations and composition varying seasonally. The study provided evidence that the Arctic deep sea receives a continuous supply of MPs via vertical settling, driven by ocean circulation and ice dynamics.
Microplastic (MP) pollution has reached the remotest areas of the globe, including the polar regions. In the Arctic Ocean, MPs have been detected in ice, snow, water, sediment, and biota, but their temporal dynamics remain poorly understood. To better understand the transport pathways and drivers of MP pollution in this fragile environment, this study aims to assess MPs (≥ 11 μm) in sediment trap samples collected at the HAUSGARTEN observatory (Fram Strait) from September 2019 to July 2021. MP fluxes determined by μ-Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) imaging ranged from 0 to 2.9 MP m-2 d-1, peaking in April 2020 and April 2021, with all detected MPs being <300 μm in size. There was no strong correlation between MPs and any of the recorded biogeochemical and physical variables, as each MP flux event was associated with different variables such as biogenic matter, sea ice concentration, or origin. By providing time series data over 21 months, this study provides a baseline for future MP flux assessments in Fram Strait, Arctic.
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Origin and seasonal dynamics of pelagic microplastic deposition in Fram Strait, Arctic
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Researchers analyzed microplastics isolated from sediment trap samples collected at the HAUSGARTEN observatory in Fram Strait, Arctic, between September 2019 and July 2021, measuring particle fluxes and seasonal dynamics using µ-FTIR imaging. They found microplastic fluxes of 0-2.9 particles per square meter per day with spring maxima, providing insight into vertical transport and deposition dynamics in the Arctic Ocean.
Floating microplastic inventories in the southern Beaufort Sea, Arctic Ocean
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Floating microplastics were sampled in the southern Beaufort Sea in the Canadian Arctic, finding that the region receives MP inputs despite seasonal sea ice cover, with concentrations and polymer types reflecting long-range atmospheric and oceanic transport.
Microplastics in the Eurasian Arctic surface water: main sources and drivers of spatiotemporal variability
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Researchers conducted the most extensive survey to date of floating microplastics in the Eurasian Arctic Ocean, collecting 220 surface and 180 subsurface water samples across six research cruises from 2019 to 2022 in the Barents, Kara, Laptev, and East-Siberian Seas using Neuston nets. The study characterised the main sources and spatiotemporal drivers of microplastic distribution in this sensitive polar region, with findings relevant to understanding the Arctic as a sink for global plastic pollution.
Seasonal variations in the sinking fluxes of microplastics and textile fibers in an Arctic fjord (Kongsfjorden, Svalbard)
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Researchers measured seasonal variations in microplastic and microfiber sinking fluxes in Kongsfjorden fjord, Svalbard, using a moored sediment trap rotating monthly over one year from September 2021 to September 2022. By capturing sinking particles at 61 m depth where Atlantic water masses interact with glacial melt fronts, they documented temporal variability in vertical microplastic export and identified seasonal drivers affecting particle flux to the Arctic seafloor.
The Arctic Deep Sea - A Sink for Microplastic ?
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This study investigated Arctic deep-sea sediments as a potential sink for the "missing" ocean plastic — the vast amounts of plastic entering oceans that are not accounted for by surface measurements. Findings from sediment cores show microplastic accumulation in the deep Arctic seafloor, supporting the hypothesis that deep-sea sediments are a major repository for ocean plastic pollution.
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