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Diving into the Depths: Uncovering Microplastics in Norwegian Coastal Sediment Cores
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Researchers analyzed microplastic vertical distribution in sediment cores from five sites along the Norwegian coast extending to Arctic waters, filling a gap in high-resolution depth profile data for European and Arctic sediments. Microplastics were found throughout core depths with concentrations generally increasing toward the surface in patterns reflecting historical plastic production growth.
High concentrations of microplastics (MPs) have been documented in the deep-sea surface sediments of the Arctic Ocean. However, studies investigating their high-resolution vertical distribution in sediments from the European waters to the Arctic remain limited. This study examines MPs in five sediment cores from the Norwegian Coastal Current (NCC), encompassing the water-sediment interface and sediment layers up to 19 cm depth. Advanced analytical methods for MP identification down to 11 μm in size were combined with radiometric dating and lithology observations. MPs were present across all sediment cores, including layers predating the introduction of plastics, with concentrations exhibiting significant variation (54-12,491 MP kg-1). The smallest size class (11 μm) predominated in most sediment layers (34-100%). A total of 18 different polymer types were identified across all sediment layers, with polymer diversity and depth correlations varying widely between stations. Our findings suggest that differences in seafloor topography and the impact of anthropogenic activities (e.g., fishing) lead to varying environmental conditions at the sampling sites, influencing the vertical distribution of MPs. This challenges the reliability of using environmental parameters to predict MP accumulation zones and questions the use of MPs in sediment cores as indicators of the Anthropocene.
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Diving into the deep: unveiling small microplastics in Norwegian coastal sediment cores
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Researchers examined the vertical distribution of small microplastics in five sediment cores from the Norwegian Coastal Current, using advanced analytical methods down to 11 micrometers combined with radiometric dating, finding widespread microplastic presence across sediment layers up to 19 cm depth and providing insights into historical deposition rates.
Unveiling small microplastics in Norwegian coastal sediment cores
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Researchers collected five sediment cores along the Norwegian Coastal Current using a multi-corer sampler to investigate the high-resolution vertical distribution of small microplastics in coastal and sub-Arctic sediments, addressing a major gap in knowledge about microplastic depth profiles in European waters. The study, part of the JPI Oceans FACTS project, aimed to characterise how microplastics are transported and deposited through the water column into seafloor sediments.
Unveiling small microplastics in Norwegian coastal sediment cores
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Researchers examined the vertical distribution of small microplastics in sediment cores collected along the Norwegian Coastal Current as part of the JPI Oceans FACTS project, using a Multi-corer system to assess how microplastics are transported and deposited in European to Arctic coastal waters.
Microplastic pollution in deep-sea sediments
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Researchers analyzed deep-sea sediment cores and found microplastics present at depth, providing early evidence that deep-sea sediments globally accumulate microplastic pollution far from coastlines and at the 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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