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Microplastics and synthetic particles ingested by deep-sea amphipods in six of the deepest marine ecosystems on Earth
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Amphipod crustaceans from six of the deepest Pacific ocean trenches (7,000–10,890 m depth) were examined for microplastic ingestion, with over 72% of the 90 individuals containing at least one microparticle, including fibers, films, and fragments of polyethylene terephthalate and nylon. The study provides the first evidence that microplastic contamination reaches the deepest inhabited parts of the world's oceans.
While there is now an established recognition of microplastic pollution in the oceans, and the detrimental effects this may have on marine animals, the ocean depth at which such contamination is ingested by organisms has still not been established. Here, we detect the presence of ingested microplastics in the hindguts of Lysianassoidea amphipod populations, in six deep ocean trenches from around the Pacific Rim (Japan, Izu-Bonin, Mariana, Kermadec, New Hebrides and the Peru-Chile trenches), at depths ranging from 7000 m to 10 890 m. This illustrates that microplastic contaminants occur in the very deepest reaches of the oceans. Over 72% of individuals examined (65 of 90) contained at least one microparticle. The number of microparticles ingested per individual across all trenches ranged from 1 to 8. The mean and standard error of microparticles varied per trench, from 0.9 ± 0.4 (New Hebrides Trench) to 3.3 ± 0.7 (Mariana Trench). A subsample of microfibres and fragments analysed using FTIR were found to be a collection of plastic and synthetic materials (Nylon, polyethylene, polyamide, polyvinyl alcohol, polyvinylchloride, often with inorganic filler material), semi-synthetic (rayon and lyocell) and natural fibre (ramie). Notwithstanding, this study reports the deepest record of microplastic ingestion, indicating that anthropogenic debris is bioavailable to organisms at some of the deepest locations in the Earth's oceans.
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Supplementary material from "Microplastics and synthetic particles ingested by deep-sea amphipods in six of the deepest marine ecosystems on the Earth"
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This supplementary material accompanies a landmark study finding that microplastics were ingested by amphipods in six of the deepest ocean trenches on Earth, at depths from 7,000 to nearly 11,000 meters. The finding that over 72% of deep-sea amphipods contained at least one microparticle demonstrates that plastic contamination has penetrated even the most remote deep-ocean ecosystems.
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This dataset provides raw microplastic count data from deep-sea amphipods collected from six of the deepest marine trenches on Earth, documenting plastic ingestion at depths reaching nearly 11,000 meters. The data demonstrate that microplastic contamination has reached even the most remote and deepest parts of the global ocean.
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Researchers characterized microplastic contamination in sediments collected from the Kuril-Kamchatka deep-sea trench in the Pacific, finding plastic particles in these some of the deepest and most remote ocean environments on Earth. Deep-sea trenches appear to act as final sinks for microplastics transported by ocean currents and biological processes.
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Microplastic data from Microplastics and synthetic particles ingested by deep-sea amphipods in six of the deepest marine ecosystems on the Earth.
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