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Combining citizen and conventional science for microplastics monitoring in the White Sea basin (Russian Arctic)
Summary
Researchers combined citizen science volunteers with conventional scientific methods to document microplastic contamination across 13 remote locations in the White Sea basin of the Russian Arctic, finding plastic particles primarily composed of PE, PET, and PVC at average concentrations of 1.14 particles/m.
The study presents the results of the field expedition in the Russian Arctic held by a group of NGO members, scientists and volunteers in summer-autumn 2020 in the Arkhangelsk Region (Russia). The survey showed microplastics presence in 7 out of 13 remote and sparsely inhabited locations in lakes, rivers and coastal areas of the White Sea basin, with microplastic particle average concentration 1.14 part/m, that is in agreement with other recent regional studies. Mostly PE, PET and PVC were found. A simple, cheap and easy-to-use microplastics monitoring protocol was developed and tested to be used by volunteers in remote Arctic communities. Video-lectures and tutorials are available online in an open-aсcess mode. 200 volunteers from polar communities are trained in microplastic sampling and litter separation, learning about microplastic pollution, including local residents, schoolchildren and students.