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61,005 resultsShowing papers similar to Deep seafloor plastics as the source and sink of organic pollutants in the northern South China Sea
ClearOrganic pollutants in deep sea: Occurrence, fate, and ecological implications
This review synthesized data on organic pollutants in the deep sea, finding that persistent contaminants including microplastics and their sorbed chemicals reach depths exceeding 10,000 meters through particle sinking, water mass transport, and biological vectors, threatening poorly understood but ecologically vital deep-sea ecosystems.
Emerging and legacy pollutants in abyssal sediments of the world’s largest enclosed waterbody
Sediment samples from the abyssal zones of the western Pacific revealed both legacy pollutants (PCBs, DDT) and microplastics at significant depths, showing that even the most remote deep-sea environments are contaminated by human-made chemicals. The co-occurrence suggests microplastics may serve as carriers transporting persistent organic pollutants to the deep ocean.
Persistent organic pollutants carried on plastic resin pellets from two beaches in China
Researchers found that plastic resin pellets collected from two Chinese beaches contained significant concentrations of PAHs, PCBs, organochlorine pesticides, and other persistent organic pollutants sorbed to their surfaces. The findings confirm that plastic pellets act as vectors for long-range transport of multiple classes of hydrophobic chemical contaminants in marine environments.
Plastic pollution in deep seafloor of the South China Sea
Researchers documented the abundance, distribution, and transport of plastics in the South China Sea using over 100 manned submersible dives combined with video analysis, finding that large plastics concentrate in canyon geomorphological units while microplastics predominate in coastal sediments via distinct transport mechanisms.
Organic pollutants in sedimentary microplastics from eastern Guangdong: Spatial distribution and source identification
Researchers examined the spatial distribution and sources of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and organochlorine pesticides sorbed to microplastic pellets, fragments, and foam collected from eastern Guangdong beaches, evaluating whether pellets alone can serve as reliable proxies for global monitoring of hydrophobic organic contaminants.
Microplastics and POPs on the Southwestern Atlantic deep-sea floor: a study of megafauna and sediments
This study provided the first report of microplastics and persistent organic pollutants (POPs) in the Southwestern Atlantic deep-sea floor, examining both sediments and benthic megafauna. Microplastics and POPs were detected in deep-sea organisms and sediments, demonstrating that even remote deep-ocean environments in the Southern Hemisphere are contaminated by surface-derived plastic pollution.
Microplastic pollution in deep-sea sediments and organisms of the Western Pacific Ocean
Researchers collected deep-sea sediment and organism samples from multiple sites in the western Pacific Ocean and found microplastics at all locations sampled, with depth, distance from land, and current patterns influencing accumulation, confirming the western Pacific deep sea as a significant microplastic sink.
Field evidence and modeling validation of biogeochemical controls on the deposition of persistent organic pollutants in the deep ocean
Surface sediments from the deep Eastern Indian Ocean (2161–4545 m) contained organochlorine pesticides (36.7–762.0 pg/g) and PCBs (25.5–110.0 pg/g) delivered primarily by long-range atmospheric transport, with mid-ocean ridge hydrodynamics influencing local deposition and accumulation patterns.
>b/b<: influence of feeding mode on microplastic intake by benthic organisms and detection of persistent organic pollutants in biological and sediment samples
This study investigated micropollutant accumulation including microplastics in deep-sea organisms from the Southern Atlantic, examining how feeding mode influences contaminant intake. Results showed that filter feeders and deposit feeders accumulated different levels of microplastics and chemical pollutants, reflecting the deep sea's vulnerability to surface pollution.
Persistent organic pollutant accumulation in Pacific abyssal plain sediments and biota: Implications for sources, transport, and deep-sea mining
Researchers provided the first evidence of persistent organic pollutants including PCBs, PBDEs, and PFAS in sediment and deep-sea fish from the Pacific abyssal plain, an area targeted for deep-sea mining. They found that while PCB levels were evenly distributed across sites, other pollutants showed more patchy distributions. The findings raise important questions about how mining activities could disturb contaminated deep-sea sediments and redistribute pollutants into the water column.
The sorption of persistent organic pollutants in microplastics from the coastal environment
Researchers sampled microplastic pellets from six beaches around Taiwan and measured concentrations of persistent organic pollutants (dioxins, PCBs, PBDEs) on their surfaces, finding that pellets accumulated significant POPs loads with concentrations that correlated with proximity to industrial areas.
Persistent Halogenated Organic Pollutants in Deep-Water-Deposited Particulates from South China Sea
Researchers measured background levels of persistent halogenated organic pollutants (POPs) in deep-water-deposited particulates from the South China Sea, providing baseline data for a region with limited prior POP measurements. The study characterised concentrations of multiple compound classes and assessed spatial distribution patterns in offshore marine sediments.
Organic Pollutants Associated with Plastic Debris in Marine Environment: A Systematic Review of Analytical Methods, Occurrence, and Characteristics
This systematic review summarizes research on organic pollutants that attach to plastic debris in marine environments. The findings are concerning for human health because microplastics in the ocean can absorb and carry toxic chemicals like pesticides and flame retardants, and when marine life ingests these contaminated particles, the pollutants can move up the food chain to our seafood.
Enrichment of Persistent Organic Pollutants in Microplastics from Coastal Waters
Researchers quantified how microplastics concentrate persistent organic pollutants compared to suspended particulate matter in coastal seawater. They found that the concentrating effect of microplastics on these pollutants was one to two orders of magnitude greater than that of natural suspended particles. The study provides precise measurements of enrichment factors, suggesting that microplastics may serve as significant carriers of toxic organic chemicals in marine environments.
Effects of Plastic Pollution on Deep Ocean Biota and Ecosystems
This article examines how plastic pollution affects deep ocean ecosystems, describing how plastics sink to the seafloor and potentially affect deep-sea biota through ingestion, toxin introduction, transport of invasive species, and alteration of seafloor substrate from soft to hard bottom. The deep ocean acts as a long-term sink for plastic pollution with poorly understood ecological consequences.
Quantification of PAHs, PCBs and Pesticides adsorbed by plastic waste in the Togolese marine environment
Researchers analyzed plastic waste collected along the Togolese coast and found it contaminated with PAHs and PCBs, demonstrating that marine plastics act as vectors for toxic organic pollutants. This adsorption of harmful chemicals onto plastic surfaces poses risks to marine organisms and potentially to humans who consume seafood.
Global qualitative and quantitative distribution of micropollutants in the deep sea.
Micropollutants have reached all ocean zones including depths beyond 10,000 m, with highest concentrations in the Northern Hemisphere at depths up to 3,000 m; PCBs, organotins, and PAHs were detected above legislated thresholds in both organisms and environmental samples, confirming the deep sea as a pollutant sink.
Toxic anthropogenic pollutants reach the deepest ocean on Earth
PCBs (toxic industrial chemicals) were found at extremely high concentrations in sediment from the deepest part of the Mariana Trench, far exceeding levels seen in shallower marine sediments. This confirms that persistent pollutants—and by implication microplastics—sink to and accumulate in the world's deepest ocean trenches.
Potential risk of co-occurrence of microplastics and chlorinated persistent organic pollutants to coastal wetlands: Evidence from a case study
Researchers investigated the co-occurrence of microplastics and chlorinated persistent organic pollutants in coastal wetlands of Zhejiang, China, finding microplastics in 100 percent of samples. Although wetland microplastic levels were lower than other land types, the plastics showed strong capacity to adsorb and concentrate toxic organic chemicals. The study highlights the combined contamination risk that microplastics and persistent pollutants pose to sensitive coastal ecosystems.
Interdecadal Distribution of Persistent Organic Pollutants in Deep-Sea Chemosynthetic Bivalves
Researchers detected persistent organic pollutants including PCBs, PAHs, and organochlorine pesticides in deep-sea chemosynthetic bivalves collected over multiple decades, finding that POPs have penetrated even chemosynthetic ecosystems far from surface pollution sources.
Determination of organochlorine pesticides adsorbed on plastic pellets
Researchers analyzed organochlorine pesticides adsorbed onto plastic pellets found in coastal environments, contributing to understanding of how plastic debris accumulates and concentrates toxic chemicals. Plastic pellets, a type of microplastic, can act as carriers bringing persistent organic pollutants into marine food webs.
Hydrophobic organic contaminants affiliated with polymer-specific microplastics in urban river tributaries and estuaries
Researchers measured hydrophobic organic contaminants affiliated with different types of floating microplastics collected from tributaries and estuaries in the Pearl River Delta, South China. The study found that contaminants were highly concentrated in microplastics, with polyethylene carrying the largest share of pollutant outflow to coastal waters, suggesting that microplastics serve as significant transport vectors for toxic chemicals in aquatic environments.
The implications of water extractable organic matter (WEOM) on the sorption of typical parent, alkyl and N/O/S-containing polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) by microplastics
This study explored how dissolved organic matter in water affects the ability of microplastics to adsorb persistent organic pollutants like pesticides, finding that organic matter significantly influences microplastics' role as chemical carriers. The results have implications for understanding how microplastics transfer toxic chemicals through aquatic ecosystems.
First long-term evidence of microplastic pollution in the deep subtropical Northeast Atlantic
Researchers found microplastic particles in all 110 sediment trap samples collected over a 12-year period from 2,000-meter depths in the Northeast Atlantic, establishing the deep ocean as a long-term sink for microplastics with fluxes increasing over time.