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Microplastics in the surface sediments of Krossfjord-Kongsfjord system, Svalbard, Arctic
Summary
Researchers found microplastics in surface sediments of the Krossfjord-Kongsfjord system in the Svalbard Arctic, with average abundances of 721 and 783 pieces/kg respectively, dominated by polyethylene and polypropylene fibres. The spatial distribution suggested that fragmentation during transport contributes to the prevalence of smaller particles.
Krossfjord-Kongsfjord system in the European Arctic has been assessed for abundance, source and distribution of microplastics in the surface sediments. The average abundance of microplastics in Krossfjord and Kongsfjord is 721.42 ± 217.89 (n = 5) pieces/kg and 783 ± 530.28 (n = 8) pieces/kg. Polymers like polyethylene and polypropylene are abundant in the sediment samples. Fibers are the most common shape of plastic particles. A high abundance of smaller plastic particles in the sediment may be due to the fragmentation of larger plastic particles during transportation. The microplastics' spatial distribution, shape, size, and composition suggest that the long-range transport by west Spitsbergen current and local inputs from anthropogenic activities are possible sources of microplastics found in the study area. Our results exhibit the presence of microplastic pollution, suggesting the influence of anthropogenic activity in the Arctic fjord and the need to control/reduce marine pollution which has become a potential threat to marine organisms.
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