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Downward migrating microplastics in lake sediments is a tricky indicator for the onset of the Anthropocene
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This paper questions whether microplastics in lake sediment cores are a reliable marker for the start of the Anthropocene epoch. Researchers found that microplastics can migrate downward through sediment layers over time, which could give misleadingly old dates and complicate their use as a precise geological time marker.
Abstract Plastics are a particulate novel material in Earth’s history. Due to its persistence and wide-range presence, it has a great potential of being a global age marker and correlation tool between sedimentary profiles. Hence, microplastics are currently considered among the array of proxies to delimit the Anthropocene Epoch (starting from the year 1950 and above). Here we present a study of microplastics deposition history inferred from sediment profiles of three lakes in north-eastern Europe. The sediments were dated with independent proxies from nowadays back to the first half of the 18th century. Surprisingly, regardless of the sediment layer age, we found microplastic particles throughout the cores in all sites. The factor driving microplastic particles to penetrate deeper in sediment layers appears to be particles' dimensional (aspect) ratio: less elongated particles tend to be transported deeper while more elongated particles and fibres have a decreased ability to be mobile. We conclude that interpretation of microplastics distribution in sediment profiles is ambiguous and does not strictly indicate the beginning of the Anthropocene Epoch.
More Papers Like This
Downward migrating microplastic in lake sediments is a tricky indicator for the onset of the Anthropocene
AI summary Read the abstract
This study examined microplastic deposits in sediment cores from three lakes in northeastern Europe and found that microplastics had migrated downward through sediment layers, making them unreliable as markers for the start of the Anthropocene epoch. The findings challenge the use of microplastics as a geological time marker, since particle movement means their depth in sediment does not accurately represent when they were deposited.
Downward migrating microplastics in lake sediments are a tricky indicator for the onset of the Anthropocene
AI summary Read the abstract
Researchers studying lake sediment cores in northeastern Europe found that microplastics had migrated downward through sediment layers over time, appearing in layers that predate the era of plastic production. This means microplastics cannot be used as a reliable geological marker for the start of the modern era (Anthropocene), because the particles move through sediment rather than staying in place. The finding also highlights that microplastics can travel deeper into soil and sediment than previously assumed, potentially reaching groundwater.
Potential role of microplastic in sediment as an indicator of Anthropocene
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Researchers reviewed global data on microplastic deposits in lake and ocean sediment cores, arguing that microplastics have the potential to serve as a geological marker for the Anthropocene — the human-dominated era — because they are widespread, persistent, and tightly linked to human industrial activity. Alpine lake sediments are recommended as ideal sites for this research due to their stable, high-resolution depositional records.
The use of microplastics as a reliable chronological marker of the Anthropocene onset in Southeastern South America
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Researchers analyzed microplastics in sediment cores from the world's largest coastal lagoonal system in southeastern South America, identifying a clear transition from microplastic-free sediments to contaminated layers that aligns with the onset of the Anthropocene.
Are microplastics the ‘technofossils’ of the Anthropocene?
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Researchers reviewed dating methods and microplastic data from sedimentary cores globally, establishing a chronological sequence of microplastic polymer types in sediment records and validating it against 39 published dated cores, demonstrating that microplastic composition can serve as a supplementary dating tool for Anthropocene sediments on a centennial scale.
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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.