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61,005 resultsShowing papers similar to Global qualitative and quantitative distribution of micropollutants in the deep 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.
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.
Deep Sea Microplastic Pollution Extends Out to Sediments in the Northeast Atlantic Ocean Margins
Researchers surveyed deep-sea sediments across four areas of the Northeast Atlantic and detected microplastics at 75% of stations sampled, finding no hotspots and no clear correlation with depth or distance from land, demonstrating the widespread extent of deep-sea microplastic contamination.
High Abundances of Microplastic Pollution in Deep-Sea Sediments: Evidence from Antarctica and the Southern Ocean
Microplastic pollution was investigated in deep-sea sediments from Antarctic and Southern Ocean regions, finding high abundances that varied among sites. The study confirmed that microplastics are accumulating in the remote Antarctic deep-sea environment, with evidence going back to scientific literature from the 1980s that has accelerated in recent years.
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.
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.
Microplastic pollution identified in deep-sea water and ingested by benthic invertebrates in the Rockall Trough, North Atlantic Ocean
Researchers identified microplastics in deep-sea water samples and found them in the gut contents of benthic invertebrates living on the seafloor — providing evidence that the deep sea is both a sink for microplastics and that deep-sea organisms are ingesting them. The study raises concerns about contamination reaching even the most remote marine ecosystems.
Microplastic pollution in deep-sea sediments
Researchers analyzed deep-sea sediment cores and found microplastics present at depth, providing early evidence that deep-sea sediments globally accumulate microplastic pollution far from coastlines and at the seafloor.
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.
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.
Fate of microplastics in deep-sea sediments and its influencing factors: Evidence from the Eastern Indian Ocean
Surface sediments from 26 sites in the deep basin of the Eastern Indian Ocean were analyzed for microplastics, finding concentrations ranging widely and influenced by water depth, distance from land, and ocean current patterns. The study extends deep-sea microplastic monitoring to the Indian Ocean and identifies oceanographic transport as a key control on plastic distribution.
Comparison of Microplastic abundance in varying depths of deep-sea sediments, Bay of Bengal
Researchers measured microplastic concentrations in deep-sea sediment samples from the Bay of Bengal at depths of 225 to 1,070 meters, finding the highest concentrations at intermediate depths. The findings add to evidence that microplastics have penetrated into deep-sea environments far from the surface.
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.
Unseen pollutants: Microplastics in deep-sea invertebrates
Microplastics were detected in deep-sea invertebrates from multiple ocean basins, confirming that plastic contamination has penetrated to organisms living in the darkest, most remote zones of the ocean. This finding raises concerns about the ecological and food-web implications of deep-sea microplastic exposure.
Consistent microplastic ingestion by deep-sea invertebrates over the last four decades (1976–2015), a study from the North East Atlantic
Researchers found consistent microplastic ingestion by deep-sea invertebrates in the North East Atlantic over a 40-year period from 1976 to 2015, demonstrating that microplastic contamination of remote deep-sea habitats is a long-standing and persistent problem.
A novel method enabling the accurate quantification of microplastics in the water column of deep ocean
A new sampling method was developed to accurately measure microplastics in the deep ocean water column, addressing gaps left by traditional net trawls that miss very small particles. Reliable deep-sea sampling is critical since the deep ocean is thought to be a major sink for global microplastic 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.
Prevalence of small high-density microplastics in the continental shelf and deep sea waters of East Asia
Researchers collected water samples at multiple depth layers across the continental shelf and deep sea of East Asia and found that small, high-density microplastics were more abundant in deeper waters, suggesting vertical sinking pathways concentrate certain particle types in the deep ocean.
Micropoluentes no mar profundo: influência do modo alimentar na ingestão de microplásticos em organismos bentônicos e detecção de poluentes orgânicos persistentes em amostras biológicas e de sedimento
This Portuguese-language study examined micropollutant exposure including microplastics in deep-sea organisms from the Southern Atlantic, analyzing how feeding mode determines microplastic ingestion across different species. The research found that even the most remote marine habitats on Earth harbor plastic contamination detectable in deep-sea fauna.
>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.
Plastics in the deep sea – a global estimate of the ocean floor reservoir
This systematic review estimates the total amount of plastic pollution resting on the deep ocean floor worldwide. The research reveals that the deep sea serves as a massive reservoir for plastic waste, which is concerning because as these plastics break down into microplastics over time, they can be consumed by deep-sea organisms and re-enter the food chain.
The vertical distribution and biological transport of marine microplastics across the epipelagic and mesopelagic water column
Remotely operated vehicles and custom samplers were used to collect microplastics from depths of 5–1000 m in Monterey Bay, finding that microplastic concentrations in mesopelagic waters (200–600 m depth) were comparable to or higher than surface concentrations. The study demonstrates that the deep ocean is not merely a sink but an active reservoir of microplastics vertically transported by biological organisms.
Deep seafloor plastics as the source and sink of organic pollutants in the northern South China Sea
This study found high levels of persistent organic pollutants — polychlorinated biphenyls and organochlorine pesticides — adsorbed onto plastic debris collected from the deep seafloor of the South China Sea. The findings confirm that large plastic items on the seafloor act as both sources and sinks for toxic organic pollutants, threatening deep-sea ecosystems.
Investigation of Microplastics from Deep-Sea Antarctic and West Coast North American Sediments
Microplastics were identified in deep-sea sediments from both Antarctic and North American Pacific sites, confirming that plastic pollution has reached even the most remote ocean floor environments far from human activity.