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Organic contaminants and toxic elements in marine plastic debris, water and sediments in small freshwater lakes in a Norwegian coastal archipelago
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Researchers investigated freshwater lakes in a Norwegian coastal archipelago and found that nearby marine plastic debris was leaching harmful chemicals — including PFAS, bisphenol A, heavy metals, and cancer-linked PAHs — into the water and sediment at concerning levels. The study demonstrates that plastic pollution on coastlines can contaminate inland freshwater ecosystems far from the ocean.
Macro- and microplastics in the marine environment are known sources and transport vectors for a range of organic contaminants, and potentially harmful elements (PHEs). This study investigated the presence of a range of contaminants in aquatic systems in Norway influenced by marine plastic contamination. The study assessed the occurrence of 27 different per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), 14 bisphenols (BPs) and benzophenone-UV filters (BzPs), 10 polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and 12 toxic elements in freshwater, sediments and marine macroplastic debris. The samples were collected from small freshwater lakes and ponds in the Froan archipelago, in Frøya municipality in Central Norway. Analysis of PFAS, BPs and BzPs was performed by UPLC-MS/MS, and analysis of toxic elements was performed by HR-ICPMS. The contaminants of concern in the aquatic systems were the PFAS perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS) and perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), bisphenol A (BPA), the PAHs fluoranthene (FLT), benzo[a]pyrene (BaP), and indeno[1,2,3-c,d]pyrene (IND), and the elements arsenic (As), chromium (Cr), cadmium Cd, mercury (Hg) and lead (Pb). The concentrations of the selected contaminants were assessed against the European Quality Standard (EQS) Class limits (I-V). The Class limits indicate the expected degree of contamination causing damage to biota in the water systems. Class I is “background level”, and Class V is “very bad condition”. We suggest that the documented contaminants in water and sediments originate from the leaching of marine plastic debris located within or adjacent to the investigated small freshwater lakes and ponds. Thus, the study demonstrates that marine plastic debris is a local source of contamination of small freshwater lakes and ponds situated close to the ocean.
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When a large batch of papers lands in the Atlas, we read through it and send a short write-up of what stood out.