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Occurrence and distribution patterns of small microplastics (11-500µm) in the southern weddell sea off antarctica

Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research) 2024
Clara Leistenschneider, Fangzhu Wu, Sebastian Primpke, Sebastian Primpke, Gunnar Gerdts, Gunnar Gerdts, Patricia Burkhardt‐Holm

Summary

This study characterized small microplastics in the 11-500 micron range across the Southern Ocean south of the polar front, a region previously underrepresented in microplastic research due to the focus on larger particle sizes. Detection of these smaller particles confirms that even remote polar marine environments contain pervasive microplastic contamination.

Study Type Environmental

Marine microplastic (MP) pollution is known to be widespread even in the Southern Ocean south of the polar front, despite this region being considered pristine and remote. However, previous studies in this region have mostly focused on MPs ¿300 μm, potentially underestimating the extent of MP pollution. This study provides the first detailed investigation of small microplastic (MP) pollution (11–500 μm) in the seawater surface of the Southern Ocean. Sampling was conducted in the Southern Weddell Sea, a particularly remote part of the Southern Ocean experiencing negligible human activity. By means of an in-house-designed pumping and filtrations system, seventeen surface water samples were collected during the PS124 expedition onboard RV Polarstern. The samples were analyzed using micro-Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (μFTIR) with focal plane array (FPA) detection, revealing MPs in all samples, predominantly smaller than 300 μm (98.3 Also see: https://micro2024.sciencesconf.org/563728/document

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