We can't find the internet
Attempting to reconnect
Something went wrong!
Hang in there while we get back on track
PCBs and PBDEs in microplastic particles and zooplankton in open water in the Pacific Ocean and around the coast of Japan
Summary
Researchers measured PCBs and PBDEs in microplastics and zooplankton collected from 27 locations across the Pacific Ocean and around Japan's coast. Both pollutant classes were detected in buoyant microplastics, even in particles smaller than 1 millimeter, with PCB concentrations highest in urban bays like Tokyo Bay. The study identified threshold ratios of microplastic-to-zooplankton abundance above which pollutant exposure from microplastics would exceed that from zooplankton.
PCBs and PBDEs in microplastics and zooplankton collected in surface water at 27 locations in the Pacific Ocean and around the coast of Japan were investigated. Both PCBs and PBDEs were observed in buoyant microplastics, even in smaller particles of 0.315-1 mm. Concentrations of Σ13 PCBs were 0.04-124 ng/g, and were higher in urban bay areas such as Tokyo Bay. Sporadic moderate to high concentrations of PBDEs were observed in both urban-offshore and rural-offshore locations, consisting mostly of higher-brominated congeners. From the latter, BDE 209 ranged from not detected to 2158 ng/g. The microplastic-to-zooplankton abundance ratio threshold was 0.6 for PCBs and 0.08 for PBDEs, above which exposure would be greater from microplastics than from zooplankton.