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High concentrations of plastic hidden beneath the surface of the Atlantic Ocean
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Researchers measured plastic debris suspended in the top 200 meters of the Atlantic Ocean and found 11.6 to 21.1 million tonnes of just three common plastic types — far more than surface surveys had suggested, indicating the ocean interior hides a massive hidden plastic sink that has been largely overlooked.
Concern over plastic pollution of the marine environment is severe. The mass-imbalance between the plastic litter supplied to and observed in the ocean currently suggests a missing sink. However, here we show that the ocean interior conceals high loads of small-sized plastic debris which can balance and even exceed the estimated plastic inputs into the ocean since 1950. The combined mass of just the three most-littered plastics (polyethylene, polypropylene, and polystyrene) of 32-651 µm size-class suspended in the top 200 m of the Atlantic Ocean is 11.6-21.1 Million Tonnes. Considering that plastics of other sizes and polymer types will be found in the deeper ocean and in the sediments, our results indicate that both inputs and stocks of ocean plastics are much higher than determined previously. It is thus critical to assess these terms across all size categories and polymer groups to determine the fate and danger of plastic contamination.
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Faculty Opinions recommendation of High concentrations of plastic hidden beneath the surface of the Atlantic Ocean
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This is a faculty review recommendation highlighting a study demonstrating that the ocean interior contains far more plastic than surface surveys suggest. The study found that subsurface plastic concentrations can balance or exceed historical estimates of total plastic inputs to the ocean.
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Scientists measured nanoplastics (plastic particles smaller than a micrometer) across the entire North Atlantic Ocean for the first time. They found these tiny particles throughout the water column, with estimated amounts in the surface layer alone potentially reaching 27 million tonnes. This mass rivals or exceeds previous estimates for all larger plastics in the entire Atlantic, showing that nanoplastic pollution is far more extensive than previously thought.
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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.