We can't find the internet
Attempting to reconnect
Something went wrong!
Hang in there while we get back on track
Microplastics in coral reef sediments underestimated? They may hide in biominerals
AI summary Read the abstract
Standard lab methods for measuring microplastics in coral reef sediments may significantly undercount them because particles can become trapped inside calcium carbonate biominerals, which are typically ignored in processing. By adding an acid digestion step to dissolve the biominerals, this study found substantially more microplastics, suggesting current estimates of plastic contamination in reef environments are likely too low.
Microplastics (MPs) may be underestimated in coral reef sediments. Current pretreatments for determining MPs in the sediments are mainly density separation and organic matter removal, ignoring MPs that may be embedded or encrusted in biominerals. This could lead to discrepancies in assessing the potential risk of MPs contamination. To confirm whether MPs in coral reef sediments are underestimated, a two-step sequential digestion, including organic matter removal (HO digestion) and biomineral removal (HCl digestion), was performed on sediments from the coral reef area of the South Penghu Marine National Park (SPMNP, Taiwan). The MPs abundance and characteristics of the two steps were analyzed separately. The results showed that the average MPs abundance after HCl digestion (78 ± 42 MPs/kg) was significantly higher than that of HO digestion (38 ± 25 MPs/kg). The MPs diversity integrated index (MPDII) in coral reef sediments was low (MPDII = 0.35), and MPs were mainly small (<2.0 mm, 91.3 %), fibrous (93.5 %), colored (60.9 %), and rayon polymers (73.9 %). Correlation analysis showed that MPs in biominerals mainly dominated MPs in the sediments. These results confirm that current assessments of MPs contamination levels in biomineral-rich sediments may be underestimated and uncertain. In addition, the mineralization of organisms in SPMNP reef regions was affected by MPs from moderate to high levels, depending on the proportion of MPs in biominerals.
More Papers Like This
Revealing the hidden environmental risks: A two-step sequential extraction of mobile and immobile (mineral-bound) microplastics in coral reef sediments
AI summary Read the abstract
Researchers applied a two-step sequential extraction protocol -- using hydrogen peroxide to isolate mobile microplastics and hydrochloric acid to dissolve carbonates and release mineral-bound immobile microplastics -- to coral reef sediments in the Penghu Archipelago, Taiwan, revealing hidden pools of trapped microplastics missed by standard single-step methods.
Reef‐building corals act as long‐term sink for microplastic
AI summary Read the abstract
Coral reef structures were shown to act as long-term sinks for microplastics, with microplastics accumulating in reef framework interstices and sediments at higher concentrations than surrounding seawater, potentially contributing to the resolution of the missing plastic problem in ocean budgets.
The Hidden Microplastics: New Insights and Figures from the Thorough Separation and Characterization of Microplastics and of Their Degradation Byproducts in Coastal Sediments
AI summary Read the abstract
Researchers applied thorough extraction and characterization methods to coastal sediment samples and found substantially more microplastics — including degradation byproducts not previously reported — than standard methods typically detect. The results suggest that conventional extraction protocols underestimate true microplastic contamination levels in marine sediments.
Microplastic quantification in Sabellaria reefs: a validated protocol for extraction from biogenic agglutinated matrices
AI summary Read the abstract
Scientists developed a new method to accurately measure tiny plastic particles trapped in underwater reefs built by marine worms. These reef structures act like filters that collect microplastics from ocean water, which can then enter the food chain when other sea creatures eat organisms living on the reefs. This improved testing method will help researchers better track plastic pollution in coastal waters and understand how it might affect seafood that people eat.
Microplastics as a sedimentary component in reef systems: A case study from the Java Sea
AI summary Read the abstract
Researchers investigated microplastic distribution in sediments from two tropical atoll reef platforms in Indonesia. The study found that microplastics are a component of reef sediments, with distribution patterns influenced by reef geomorphology and hydrodynamic processes, highlighting the need to better understand how microplastics accumulate in coral reef systems and their potential impacts on reef health.
Research digests by email
When a large batch of papers lands in the Atlas, we read through it and send a short write-up of what stood out.