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Falling into the darkness – microplastics sinking fluxes in the deep sea
Summary
Researchers quantified the seasonal sinking flux of microplastics over a 12-month period using a sediment trap deployed at 230 metres depth on the Condor seamount in the Azores, collecting 18 samples each representing 20 days of particle accumulation. The study aimed to clarify the mechanisms — including biofouling and incorporation into particulate organic matter — by which surface microplastics are transported to deep-sea environments.
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