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The imprint of microfibres in southern European deep seas

PLoS ONE 2018 201 citations ? Citation count from OpenAlex, updated daily. May differ slightly from the publisher's own count. Score: 45 ? 0–100 AI score estimating relevance to the microplastics field. Papers below 30 are filtered from public browse.

Richard C. Thompson Richard C. Thompson Richard C. Thompson Richard C. Thompson Richard C. Thompson Miquel Canals, William P. de Haan, Richard C. Thompson Anna Sànchez‐Vidal, Anna Sànchez‐Vidal, William P. de Haan, Anna Sànchez‐Vidal, Anna Sànchez‐Vidal, Richard C. Thompson William P. de Haan, William P. de Haan, Richard C. Thompson Richard C. Thompson Richard C. Thompson Richard C. Thompson Richard C. Thompson Richard C. Thompson Richard C. Thompson Anna Sànchez‐Vidal, Anna Sànchez‐Vidal, Anna Sànchez‐Vidal, Anna Sànchez‐Vidal, William P. de Haan, Anna Sànchez‐Vidal, William P. de Haan, William P. de Haan, Miquel Canals, Miquel Canals, Miquel Canals, Richard C. Thompson Richard C. Thompson Richard C. Thompson Richard C. Thompson Richard C. Thompson Richard C. Thompson Richard C. Thompson Richard C. Thompson Richard C. Thompson Richard C. Thompson Richard C. Thompson Richard C. Thompson Richard C. Thompson Richard C. Thompson Richard C. Thompson Richard C. Thompson Richard C. Thompson Richard C. Thompson Richard C. Thompson Richard C. Thompson Richard C. Thompson Richard C. Thompson Richard C. Thompson Richard C. Thompson Richard C. Thompson Richard C. Thompson Richard C. Thompson Richard C. Thompson Richard C. Thompson Richard C. Thompson Richard C. Thompson Richard C. Thompson Richard C. Thompson Richard C. Thompson Richard C. Thompson Richard C. Thompson Richard C. Thompson Richard C. Thompson Miquel Canals, Miquel Canals, Miquel Canals, Miquel Canals, William P. de Haan, Anna Sànchez‐Vidal, Anna Sànchez‐Vidal, Richard C. Thompson Richard C. Thompson William P. de Haan, Richard C. Thompson Richard C. Thompson William P. de Haan, Richard C. Thompson Anna Sànchez‐Vidal, William P. de Haan, Richard C. Thompson Miquel Canals, Richard C. Thompson Richard C. Thompson Richard C. Thompson Miquel Canals, Richard C. Thompson Richard C. Thompson Richard C. Thompson Richard C. Thompson Miquel Canals, Richard C. Thompson Richard C. Thompson Richard C. Thompson Miquel Canals, Richard C. Thompson Miquel Canals, Anna Sànchez‐Vidal, Richard C. Thompson Richard C. Thompson Richard C. Thompson Richard C. Thompson Anna Sànchez‐Vidal, Richard C. Thompson Richard C. Thompson Richard C. Thompson Anna Sànchez‐Vidal, Richard C. Thompson Richard C. Thompson Richard C. Thompson Richard C. Thompson Richard C. Thompson Richard C. Thompson Richard C. Thompson Richard C. Thompson Richard C. Thompson Richard C. Thompson Richard C. Thompson Richard C. Thompson Miquel Canals, Richard C. Thompson Anna Sànchez‐Vidal, Miquel Canals, Richard C. Thompson Richard C. Thompson Richard C. Thompson Miquel Canals, Miquel Canals, Miquel Canals, Anna Sànchez‐Vidal, William P. de Haan, William P. de Haan, William P. de Haan, Anna Sànchez‐Vidal, Anna Sànchez‐Vidal, Richard C. Thompson Richard C. Thompson Richard C. Thompson Anna Sànchez‐Vidal, Richard C. Thompson Richard C. Thompson Richard C. Thompson Miquel Canals, Richard C. Thompson Anna Sànchez‐Vidal, Miquel Canals, Anna Sànchez‐Vidal, Miquel Canals, Richard C. Thompson Miquel Canals, Anna Sànchez‐Vidal, Anna Sànchez‐Vidal, Richard C. Thompson Richard C. Thompson Richard C. Thompson Miquel Canals, Anna Sànchez‐Vidal, Richard C. Thompson Richard C. Thompson Richard C. Thompson Richard C. Thompson Richard C. Thompson Richard C. Thompson Richard C. Thompson Anna Sànchez‐Vidal, Richard C. Thompson Richard C. Thompson Richard C. Thompson Richard C. Thompson

Summary

Microfibers were found to be the dominant form of plastic contamination in deep-sea sediments from multiple locations across southern European waters, suggesting widespread and persistent fiber deposition in the deep ocean. The findings indicate that microfiber pollution from textile laundering and fishing gear reaches even the most remote deep-sea environments.

Polymers

PA PE PP

Study Type Environmental

Pollution of the marine environment by large and microscopic plastic fragments and their potential impacts on organisms has stimulated considerable research interest and has received widespread publicity. However, relatively little attention has been paid to the fate and effects of microplastic particles that are fibrous in shape, also referred as microfibres, which are mostly shed from synthetic textiles during production or washing. Here we assess composition and abundance of microfibres in seafloor sediments in southern European seas, filling gaps in the limited understanding of the long-range transport and magnitude of this type of microplastic pollution. We report abundances of 10-70 microfibres in 50 ml of sediment, including both natural and regenerated cellulose, and synthetic plastic (polyester, acrylic, polyamide, polyethylene, and polypropylene) fibres. Following a shelf-slope-deep basin continuum approach, based on the relative abundance of fibres it would appear that coastal seas retain around 33% of the sea floor microfibres, but greater quantities of the fibres are exported to the open sea, where they accumulate in sediments. Submarine canyons act as preferential conduits for downslope transport of microfibres, with 29% of the seafloor microfibres compared to 18% found on the open slope. Around 20% of the microfibres found had accumulated in the deep open sea beyond 2000m of water depth. The remoteness of the deep sea does not prevent the accumulation of microfibres, being available to become integrated into deep sea organisms.

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