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Article ? AI-assigned paper type based on the abstract. Classification may not be perfect — flag errors using the feedback button. Tier 2 ? Original research — experimental, observational, or case-control study. Direct primary evidence. Environmental Sources Marine & Wildlife Sign in to save

Falling into the darkness – microplastics sinking fluxes in the deep sea

Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research) 2024
João André Figueiredo Pereira, Ceri Lewis, Ceri Lewis, Adam Porter, Gui Menezes, Christopher K. Pham

Summary

Researchers deployed a sediment trap at 230 metres depth on the Condor seamount in the Azores for 12 months, collecting 18 sequential samples to quantify seasonal patterns in microplastic sinking fluxes and investigate the mechanisms by which floating microplastics are transported to the deep sea.

Study Type Environmental

The deep sea is now known to accumulate an important fraction of the global microplastics budget in the ocean, yet the mechanisms by which these particles are transported to the deep sea are still poorly understood. Floating microplastics are expected to sink overtime due to several mechanisms that include biofouling, integration in particulate organic matter, fragmentation, and others. Here, we quantify the seasonal pattern of microplastic sinking fluxes for 1 year on the summit of the Condor seamount, in the Azores. A sediment trap was deployed at 230 metres depth for a 12-month period, collecting a total of 18 samples with each sample collecting 20 days' worth of sinking particles. Samples were digested with 10 Also see: https://micro2024.sciencesconf.org/553428/document

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