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Quantification of microplastics in sediments from Narragansett Bay, Rhode Island USA using a novel isolation and extraction method
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Researchers developed a novel microplastic extraction method using sodium bromide density separation for sediments from Narragansett Bay, Rhode Island, achieving high recovery rates for particles in the 45-1000 µm size range and quantifying microplastic abundance and polymer composition across multiple sampling sites.
Microplastics are small plastic particles found ubiquitously in marine environments. In this study, a hybridized method was developed for the extraction of microplastics (45-1000 μm) from sediments using sodium bromide solution for density separation. Method development was tested using spiked microplastics as internal standards. The method was then used to extract microplastics from sediments in Narragansett Bay, Rhode Island, USA. Suspect microplastics were analyzed with Raman spectroscopy. Microplastic abundance ranged from 40 particles/100 g sediment to 4.6 million particles/100 g sediment (wet weight). Cellulose acetate fibers were the most abundant microplastic. These results are some of the first data for microplastics in Rhode Island sediments.
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Extraction efficiencies of four methods for separating microplastics from sediment matrices were experimentally compared using spiked samples, finding that density separation with saturated NaCl was adequate for most polymer types but underperformed for high-density polymers, and that no single method achieved complete recovery across all particle sizes and shapes.
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Estuarine Sedimentary Microplastics from City to Sea: Narragansett Bay, Rhode Island, USA
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This dataset provides microplastic count and polymer type data from shoreline and estuarine sediments around Narragansett Bay, Rhode Island. Microplastics were extracted using sodium iodide density separation and characterized by FTIR spectroscopy, with concentrations reported per kilogram of sediment. The data set supports ongoing research into microplastic accumulation patterns in estuarine environments.
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Researchers compared five methods for extracting microplastics (40-710 μm) from marine sediments by spiking known MP quantities into sediment matrices and measuring percent recovery across extraction approaches. Results showed that sediment matrix composition, MP properties including size and polymer type, and extraction method all significantly influenced recovery efficiency, underscoring the need for standardized extraction protocols to enable cross-study comparisons.
Experimental analysis of microplastics in beach sediment samples by density separation and microscopic examination
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This thesis developed and tested methods for collecting and identifying microplastics in beach sediment through density separation and microscopic examination, contributing to standardization of sampling protocols needed to reliably assess coastal microplastic contamination.
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