We can't find the internet
Attempting to reconnect
Something went wrong!
Hang in there while we get back on track
AreMicroplastic(∼25–1000 μm)and Plasticizer Concentrations Correlated in Sediments of an UrbanizedUK Estuary?
AI summary Read the abstract
Researchers investigated the co-occurrence of microplastics and plasticizers in sediments of the urbanized Forth estuary in Scotland, finding no spatial correlation between microplastic concentrations and plasticizer levels at individual sites, suggesting that microplastics in the 25-1000 µm size range are not reliable predictors of plasticizer distribution in estuarine environments.
An understanding of the relationships between plastics and plasticizers is vital in order to assess their environmental risk. We investigated spatial trends and relationships between microplastics and plasticizers in sediments of an urbanized estuary subject to contemporary and historic sources of contamination (Forth estuary, Scotland, UK). As such, this study represents one of the first to investigate the co-occurrence of emerging plasticizers, phthalates, and microplastics in an estuary system. We determined the concentration of 7 legacy (phthalate) and 3 emerging (adipate, terephthalate, trimellitate) plasticizers and 21 microplastic polymer types. The most abundant microplastics were polyethylene (PE), polypropylene (PP), polyurethane (PU), and poly(vinyl chloride) (PVC). Plasticizers were dominated by diethylhexyl phthalate (DEHP), although emerging plasticizers (e.g., diethylhexyl terephthalate, DEHTP) were frequently detected at low concentrations (mean 7.3 ng g–1 ww). There was strong evidence that concentrations of microplastics and plasticizers were significantly lower in the outer estuary. However, we found no evidence for a spatial relationship between the concentration of microplastics and plasticizers at individual site level. Our results indicate that microplastics in the size range analyzed (∼25–1000 μm) may not be a good predictor of the spatial distribution of plasticizers in estuaries. This could result from release of plasticizers prior to plastic fragmentation and deposition and differences in transport and fate.
More Papers Like This
Are Microplastic (∼25–1000 μm) and Plasticizer Concentrations Correlated in Sediments of an Urbanized UK Estuary?
AI summary Read the abstract
Researchers investigated whether plasticizer concentrations in environmental samples correlate with measured microplastic levels, testing the assumption that chemical additives can serve as proxies for plastic particle abundance. The findings clarify the reliability (and limitations) of using leached chemicals to infer microplastic contamination.
A baseline assessment of the relationship between microplastics and plasticizers in sediment samples collected from the Barcelona continental shelf
AI summary Read the abstract
Researchers conducted a baseline assessment of microplastics and phthalate plasticizers in sediments of the Barcelona continental shelf, finding co-occurrence across all sampling stations and providing early evidence of the relationship between plastic debris and associated chemical contaminants in seafloor environments.
Microplastics pollution in sediments of the Thames and Medway estuaries, UK: Organic matter associations and predominance of polyethylene
AI summary Read the abstract
Researchers analyzed microplastic contamination in sediments along the Thames and Medway estuaries in the UK. They found the highest concentrations in urban London, with polyethylene being the most common polymer type, and microplastic abundance was strongly correlated with organic carbon content in the sediment. The study identifies urbanization and combined sewer overflows as key drivers of microplastic accumulation in these estuarine environments.
Microplastic Distribution at Different Sediment Depths in an Urban Estuary
AI summary Read the abstract
Researchers sampled sediment cores from an urban estuary to map how microplastic particles are distributed at different depths over time. The study found that microplastic density varied with sediment depth, reflecting historical changes in plastic pollution and urban runoff.
The fate of plastic litter within estuarine compartments: An overview of current knowledge for the transboundary issue to guide future assessments
AI summary Read the abstract
Researchers reviewed global knowledge on plastic fate within estuaries and found plastic concentrations reaching thousands of items per cubic meter in water and sediment, while identifying major methodological gaps — particularly that microfibers are consistently undersampled and that studies rarely account for ecological trophic gradients or the physicochemical dynamics driving plastic distribution and bioavailability.
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.