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Are microplastics the ‘technofossils’ of the Anthropocene?

Anthropocene Coasts 2022 15 citations ? Citation count from OpenAlex, updated daily. May differ slightly from the publisher's own count. Score: 35 ? 0–100 AI score estimating relevance to the microplastics field. Papers below 30 are filtered from public browse.

Feng Yuan, Xinqing Zou Feng Yuan, Yongcheng Ding, Hongyu Chen, Hongyu Chen, Yongcheng Ding, Yongcheng Ding, Yongcheng Ding, Hongyu Chen, Yongcheng Ding, Hongyu Chen, Hongyu Chen, Feng Yuan, Yongcheng Ding, Feng Yuan, Feng Yuan, Feng Yuan, Yongcheng Ding, Yongcheng Ding, Yongcheng Ding, Yongcheng Ding, Yongcheng Ding, Yongcheng Ding, Xinqing Zou Xinqing Zou Yongcheng Ding, Xinqing Zou Yongcheng Ding, Yongcheng Ding, Hongyu Chen, Hongyu Chen, Yongcheng Ding, Xinqing Zou Xinqing Zou Xinqing Zou Xinqing Zou Xinqing Zou Xinqing Zou Feng Yuan, Yongcheng Ding, Yongcheng Ding, Yongcheng Ding, Yongcheng Ding, Yongcheng Ding, Yongcheng Ding, Yongcheng Ding, Yongcheng Ding, Yongcheng Ding, Yongcheng Ding, Xinqing Zou Yongcheng Ding, Ying Wang, Feng Yuan, Yongcheng Ding, Yongcheng Ding, Yongcheng Ding, Ying Wang, Yongcheng Ding, Feng Yuan, Feng Yuan, Yongcheng Ding, Yongcheng Ding, Yongcheng Ding, Yongcheng Ding, Yongcheng Ding, Yongcheng Ding, Hongyu Chen, Xinqing Zou Xinqing Zou Yongcheng Ding, Yongcheng Ding, Yongcheng Ding, Yongcheng Ding, Yongcheng Ding, Yongcheng Ding, Yongcheng Ding, Feng Yuan, Feng Yuan, Yongcheng Ding, Yongcheng Ding, Yongcheng Ding, Yongcheng Ding, Yongcheng Ding, Guanghe Fu, Xinqing Zou Yongcheng Ding, Hongyu Chen, Yongcheng Ding, Ying Wang, Guanghe Fu, Yongcheng Ding, Feng Yuan, Feng Yuan, Feng Yuan, Yongcheng Ding, Hongyu Chen, Feng Yuan, Yongcheng Ding, Feng Yuan, Guanghe Fu, Hongyu Chen, Guanghe Fu, Feng Yuan, Guanghe Fu, Guanghe Fu, Yongcheng Ding, Yongcheng Ding, Yongcheng Ding, Yongcheng Ding, Xinqing Zou Guanghe Fu, Yongcheng Ding, Yongcheng Ding, Guanghe Fu, Guanghe Fu, Guanghe Fu, Guanghe Fu, Guanghe Fu, Guanghe Fu, Guanghe Fu, Guanghe Fu, Guanghe Fu, Guanghe Fu, Guanghe Fu, Guanghe Fu, Guanghe Fu, Xinqing Zou Guanghe Fu, Yongcheng Ding, Guanghe Fu, Xinqing Zou Xinqing Zou Guanghe Fu, Yongcheng Ding, Xinqing Zou Xinqing Zou Xinqing Zou Guanghe Fu, Guanghe Fu, Xinqing Zou Guanghe Fu, Guanghe Fu, Xinqing Zou

Summary

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.

Study Type Environmental

Abstract Microplastics are ubiquitous in the environment, eventually becoming part of the geological record as ‘technofossils’. However, research on the chronological characteristics of microplastics remains limited. This study reviewed dating methods, microplastic abundance, and microplastic polymer type in sedimentary cores globally. Furthermore, the ‘evolution’ of plastic types was compiled in sequence, and a microplastic chronological sequence in the sedimentary record was established. This microplastics chronological sequence was applied to 39 published cores with microplastic polymer analysis. The sediment age ranges determined by microplastic type were found to correspond to the published ages, indicating that microplastics could be useful for dating sedimentary cores on a centennial scale. Furthermore, good preservation and limited mobility of microplastics in burial records make microplastic dating an effective supplementary dating method for determining ages of Anthropocene sediments.

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