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Sorption of trace metals by macro- and microplastics within intertidal sediments: Insights from a long-term field study within Burrard Inlet, British Columbia, Canada
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Researchers placed macro- and microplastics made of two common polymer types in marine intertidal sediments in British Columbia, Canada, for an extended field study to measure how they absorb trace metals. They found that metal sorption depended on polymer type, plastic aging, particle size, and local environmental conditions such as proximity to pollution sources. The study demonstrates that plastics in marine sediments can accumulate concerning levels of metals like copper and zinc, potentially creating concentrated toxic hotspots.
Plastics are now the dominant fraction of anthropogenic marine debris and as a result of their long residence times, it is important to determine the threats that plastics present to marine ecosystems including their ability to sorb a diversity of environmental pollutants such as trace metals. To address this knowledge gap, this study examined the sorption of cadmium (Cd), copper (Cu), mercury (Hg), lead (Pb), and zinc (Zn) by macro- and microplastics of polyethylene terephthalate (PETE) and high-density polyethylene (HDPE) within marine intertidal sediments in a human-impacted area of Burrard Inlet (British Columbia, Canada). Trace metal sorption by macro- and microplastics was dependent on 1) polymer characteristics, notably the aging of the plastic over the duration of the field experiment as shown by the formation of new peaks via FTIR spectra; and 2) amounts of sediment organic matter, where the sorption of trace metals by the plastic particles decreased with increasing organic matter content (from 2.8 % to 15.8 %). Plastic particles play a minor role in trace metals sorption in the presence of organic matter at high concentrations as a result of competitive adsorption. Overall, the interaction of trace metals with sediment plastics was highly dynamic and to understand the key processes controlling this dynamic requires further study. This work contributed to our understanding on metal-plastic interactions in coastal intertidal sediments from urban environments and serve to support plastic pollution risk management and bioremediation studies.
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Temperature affects the sorption of trace metals by macro- and microplastics within marine intertidal sediments: insights from a long-term laboratory-based study
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Researchers conducted long-term laboratory experiments to understand how temperature affects the ability of macro- and microplastics to absorb trace metals like cadmium, copper, lead, and zinc in marine sediments. They found that temperature changes altered the rate at which metals were absorbed and the equilibrium concentrations reached, while sediment organic matter also influenced sorption at all temperatures tested. The study provides insight into how warming ocean temperatures could change the way plastics interact with toxic metals in coastal environments.
Macro and micro plastics sorb and desorb metals and act as a point source of trace metals to coastal ecosystems
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Researchers collected plastic debris from nine urban intertidal areas in Vancouver, Canada, and analyzed the metals sorbed onto different polymer types. They found that environmental plastics carried significantly higher metal concentrations than newly manufactured plastics, with zinc, copper, cadmium, and lead all detected. The study suggests that both macro and micro plastics act as point sources of trace metal contamination in coastal ecosystems.
Sorption of trace elements (Cd, Cu, Hg, Pb, and Zn) by macro- and microplastics within intertidal sediments; A laboratory, field and modeling approach
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This thesis applied laboratory, field, and modeling approaches to examine trace element sorption by PETE and HDPE macro- and microplastics in marine intertidal sediments at Burrard Inlet, Canada. Results showed that trace element sorption by plastics depends on sediment geochemistry and polymer degradation status, with organic matter reducing plastic's role as a sorption vector through competitive adsorption.
Metals' Adsorption Onto Environmental Microplastics at Shoreline Sediments
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Metal adsorption onto microplastics collected from shoreline environments was measured, revealing that weathered plastic particles accumulate heavy metals like lead, copper, and zinc. The results confirm that shoreline microplastics act as metal-enriched vectors that could pose risks to organisms ingesting them.
Supplementary file 1_Temperature affects the sorption of trace metals by macro- and microplastics within marine intertidal sediments: insights from a long-term laboratory-based study.zip
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Researchers examined how water temperature affects the sorption of trace metals by macro- and microplastic particles, finding that warmer temperatures enhanced metal desorption from plastic surfaces, with implications for the environmental chemistry of plastic-associated contaminants under climate warming.
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