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Quantification and characterization of plastics in near-shore surface waters of Atlantic Canada
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Researchers quantified and characterised plastic pollution in near-shore surface waters at three locations across Atlantic Canada, finding an average abundance of 9,669 items/km with microplastics (0.425-5 mm) comprising 68% of particles, polyethylene accounting for 30% of all particles, and plastic fragments as the most common morphological type.
Plastics are a ubiquitous pollutant in the marine environment. Despite growing concerns, quantitative and qualitative data on microplastics in aquatic and marine environments of Atlantic Canada is just emerging. Surface water plastics were measured and categorized by morphology (thread, microfibre, fragment, foam, film, pellet, and microbead) in two locations in Nova Scotia and one in Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada. All sites within the three locations contained plastic with an average abundance of 9669 items/km. Most plastics (68 %) were sized as microplastics (0.425-5 mm), and plastic fragments were the most common morphological type. Polyethylene accounted for a third (30 %) of all particles found across all three locations, followed by polypropylene (23 %). Results can inform future research for community-based environmental groups, government, and academia.
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Researchers surveyed microplastic abundance across six major ocean current regions in the Atlantic Ocean, from the Netherlands to Uruguay, using 50 surface trawls. They found an overall concentration of 0.011 particles per cubic meter, with abundance significantly correlated to distance from the coast, and high-density polyethylene and polypropylene fragments being the dominant types. The study provides valuable baseline data from consistently under-sampled regions, particularly the South Atlantic.
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A study investigated the abundance, distribution, and chemical composition of microplastics in a marine environment, characterizing particle types, polymer identities, and spatial patterns. The findings contribute to understanding how microplastic contamination varies across different marine zones.
Morphometric characteristics and spatiotemporal heterogeneity of microplastics on the north-east coast of India
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Survey of surface waters along the northeast coast of India found microplastics present in all sampled water masses, with higher concentrations during the monsoon season than the post-monsoon period, and fragments and fibers making up the vast majority of particles. The seasonal pattern suggests land-based runoff is a major delivery pathway, with implications for the many coastal communities in the region that depend on these waters for fishing and livelihoods.
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Researchers found that micro- and mesoplastic debris were widely and uniformly distributed across the Western Mediterranean Sea, with average surface concentrations of approximately 130,000 microplastic particles per km2 and 5,700 mesoplastic particles per km2. Fragment morphology and polymer composition analysis indicated a predominantly land-based origin for the debris.
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.