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First detection of microplastics in the freshwater of an Antarctic Specially Protected Area
Marine Pollution Bulletin2020
179 citations
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Citation count from OpenAlex, updated daily. May differ slightly from the publisher's own count.
Score: 45
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0–100 AI score estimating relevance to the microplastics field. Papers below 30 are filtered from public browse.
Carlos Edo,
Miguel González-Pleiter,
Miguel González-Pleiter,
Carlos Edo,
Carlos Edo,
Carlos Edo,
Carlos Edo,
Carlos Edo,
Carlos Edo,
Carlos Edo,
Miguel González-Pleiter,
Roberto Rosal,
Carlos Edo,
Miguel González-Pleiter,
Miguel González-Pleiter,
Miguel González-Pleiter,
Miguel González-Pleiter,
Carlos Edo,
Miguel González-Pleiter,
Miguel González-Pleiter,
Miguel González-Pleiter,
Miguel González-Pleiter,
Carlos Edo,
Carlos Edo,
Carlos Edo,
Carlos Edo,
Francisca Fernández‐Piñas,
Francisca Fernández‐Piñas,
Miguel González-Pleiter,
Miguel González-Pleiter,
Miguel González-Pleiter,
Carlos Edo,
Miguel González-Pleiter,
Carlos Edo,
Carlos Edo,
Carlos Edo,
Miguel González-Pleiter,
Carlos Edo,
Carlos Edo,
David Velázquez
David Velázquez
Roberto Rosal,
Francisca Fernández‐Piñas,
Francisca Fernández‐Piñas,
Francisca Fernández‐Piñas,
Carlos Edo,
Carlos Edo,
Carlos Edo,
Carlos Edo,
Miguel González-Pleiter,
Miguel González-Pleiter,
Miguel González-Pleiter,
Roberto Rosal,
Roberto Rosal,
Roberto Rosal,
Roberto Rosal,
Roberto Rosal,
Francisca Fernández‐Piñas,
Francisca Fernández‐Piñas,
Miguel González-Pleiter,
Francisca Fernández‐Piñas,
Miguel González-Pleiter,
Francisca Fernández‐Piñas,
Carlos Edo,
Francisca Fernández‐Piñas,
Miguel González-Pleiter,
Francisca Fernández‐Piñas,
Miguel González-Pleiter,
Miguel González-Pleiter,
Miguel González-Pleiter,
Carlos Edo,
Miguel González-Pleiter,
Miguel González-Pleiter,
María Cristina Casero,
David Velázquez
Francisca Fernández‐Piñas,
Carlos Edo,
Francisco Leganés,
Francisco Leganés,
Francisco Leganés,
Roberto Rosal,
Roberto Rosal,
Miguel González-Pleiter,
Miguel González-Pleiter,
Carlos Edo,
Miguel González-Pleiter,
Miguel González-Pleiter,
Miguel González-Pleiter,
Carlos Edo,
Carlos Edo,
Francisca Fernández‐Piñas,
Francisca Fernández‐Piñas,
Francisca Fernández‐Piñas,
Francisca Fernández‐Piñas,
Francisca Fernández‐Piñas,
Francisca Fernández‐Piñas,
Roberto Rosal,
Roberto Rosal,
Roberto Rosal,
Roberto Rosal,
Roberto Rosal,
Francisco Leganés,
María Cristina Casero,
Francisco Leganés,
Miguel González-Pleiter,
Roberto Rosal,
Miguel González-Pleiter,
Francisca Fernández‐Piñas,
Francisco Leganés,
Carlos Edo,
Francisca Fernández‐Piñas,
Francisco Leganés,
Roberto Rosal,
Francisca Fernández‐Piñas,
Francisco Leganés,
Francisco Leganés,
Miguel González-Pleiter,
Francisco Leganés,
Miguel González-Pleiter,
Francisco Leganés,
Francisco Leganés,
Roberto Rosal,
Francisco Leganés,
Roberto Rosal,
Francisco Leganés,
Roberto Rosal,
Miguel González-Pleiter,
Francisco Leganés,
Francisco Leganés,
Miguel González-Pleiter,
Francisco Leganés,
Miguel González-Pleiter,
Miguel González-Pleiter,
Miguel González-Pleiter,
Roberto Rosal,
Miguel González-Pleiter,
Francisca Fernández‐Piñas,
Francisco Leganés,
Miguel González-Pleiter,
Miguel González-Pleiter,
María Cristina Casero,
Roberto Rosal,
Miguel González-Pleiter,
Roberto Rosal,
Francisco Leganés,
Francisca Fernández‐Piñas,
Antonio Quesada,
Francisco Leganés,
Antonio Quesada,
Francisca Fernández‐Piñas,
Roberto Rosal,
Francisca Fernández‐Piñas,
Roberto Rosal,
Roberto Rosal,
Roberto Rosal,
Roberto Rosal,
Francisca Fernández‐Piñas,
Roberto Rosal,
Roberto Rosal,
Francisco Leganés,
Francisco Leganés,
Francisco Leganés,
Roberto Rosal,
Francisco Leganés,
Roberto Rosal,
Francisco Leganés,
Francisco Leganés,
Roberto Rosal,
Francisca Fernández‐Piñas,
Francisca Fernández‐Piñas,
Francisca Fernández‐Piñas,
Francisca Fernández‐Piñas,
Francisca Fernández‐Piñas,
Roberto Rosal,
Roberto Rosal,
Roberto Rosal,
Roberto Rosal,
Roberto Rosal,
Miguel González-Pleiter,
Roberto Rosal,
Roberto Rosal,
Miguel González-Pleiter,
Roberto Rosal,
Roberto Rosal,
Roberto Rosal,
Roberto Rosal,
Francisca Fernández‐Piñas,
Francisca Fernández‐Piñas,
Francisca Fernández‐Piñas,
Francisca Fernández‐Piñas,
Francisca Fernández‐Piñas,
Miguel González-Pleiter,
Francisco Leganés,
Miguel González-Pleiter,
Miguel González-Pleiter,
Roberto Rosal,
Miguel González-Pleiter,
Antonio Quesada,
Roberto Rosal,
Roberto Rosal,
Francisca Fernández‐Piñas,
Francisca Fernández‐Piñas,
Miguel González-Pleiter,
Miguel González-Pleiter,
Miguel González-Pleiter,
Antonio Quesada,
Roberto Rosal,
Francisco Leganés,
Francisco Leganés,
Miguel González-Pleiter,
Francisca Fernández‐Piñas,
Francisca Fernández‐Piñas,
Francisca Fernández‐Piñas,
Francisca Fernández‐Piñas,
Francisca Fernández‐Piñas,
Francisco Leganés,
Francisca Fernández‐Piñas,
Francisca Fernández‐Piñas,
Roberto Rosal,
Roberto Rosal,
Roberto Rosal,
Roberto Rosal,
Roberto Rosal,
Francisca Fernández‐Piñas,
Roberto Rosal,
Roberto Rosal,
Roberto Rosal,
Roberto Rosal,
Miguel González-Pleiter,
David Velázquez
Summary
Microplastics were detected for the first time in the freshwater of an Antarctic Specially Protected Area (ASPA), representing an advance of plastic pollution into one of the most strictly regulated and remote ecosystems on Earth. The finding confirms that even areas with restricted human access are not free from microplastic contamination.
Microplastics have been found in all environmental compartments investigated so far, even reaching remote areas. However, their presence in Antarctic freshwaters has not been yet reported. Here, we investigated the occurrence of microplastics in a stream from an Antarctic Specially Protected Area (Byers Peninsula, Livingston Island - ASPA No. 126), which is subject to stringent environmental protection measures as a result of which it is considered a pristine international reference site for inland waters research. Our results showed the presence of three types of microplastics in a freshwater seasonal stream, namely four polyester fibers, one black and three transparent; two acrylic fibers, one transparent and one red; and two transparent polytetrafluoroethylene films. The length and width of these fibers and films were in the 400-3546 μm (average 1118 μm), and 10-1026 μm (average 199 μm) ranges respectively. The concentration of MP was 0.95 items/1000 m with estimated variability in the 0.47-1.43 items/1000 m range. This is the first report of the presence of microplastics in Antarctic freshwater with the uniqueness that it is an Antarctic Specially Protected Area, meaning that plastic pollution reached even the most remote and pristine environments in the planet.