Quantification of plankton-sized microplastics in a productive coastal Arctic marine ecosystem
Microplastics (MPs) are polluting the Arctic, but our understanding of their abundance, distribution, and sources is limited. This study quantified MPs down to 10 μm in marine waters of the most populated region in Greenland. A new plastic-free pump-filter system was used to collect MPs from surface...
Published in: | Environmental Pollution |
---|---|
Main Authors: | , , , , , , |
Format: | Article in Journal/Newspaper |
Language: | English |
Published: |
2020
|
Subjects: | |
Online Access: | https://orbit.dtu.dk/en/publications/3afa0de7-b3e9-44d4-aeca-e76ae5830719 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envpol.2020.115248 https://backend.orbit.dtu.dk/ws/files/217824454/Rist_et_al._2020_Postprint.pdf |
id |
ftdtupubl:oai:pure.atira.dk:publications/3afa0de7-b3e9-44d4-aeca-e76ae5830719 |
---|---|
record_format |
openpolar |
spelling |
ftdtupubl:oai:pure.atira.dk:publications/3afa0de7-b3e9-44d4-aeca-e76ae5830719 2024-09-15T17:50:48+00:00 Quantification of plankton-sized microplastics in a productive coastal Arctic marine ecosystem Rist, Sinja Vianello, Alvise Winding, Mie Hylstofte Sichlau Nielsen, Torkel Gissel Almeda, Rodrigo Torres, Rocío Rodríguez Vollertsen, Jes 2020 application/pdf https://orbit.dtu.dk/en/publications/3afa0de7-b3e9-44d4-aeca-e76ae5830719 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envpol.2020.115248 https://backend.orbit.dtu.dk/ws/files/217824454/Rist_et_al._2020_Postprint.pdf eng eng https://orbit.dtu.dk/en/publications/3afa0de7-b3e9-44d4-aeca-e76ae5830719 info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess Rist , S , Vianello , A , Winding , M H S , Nielsen , T G , Almeda , R , Torres , R R & Vollertsen , J 2020 , ' Quantification of plankton-sized microplastics in a productive coastal Arctic marine ecosystem ' , Environmental Pollution , vol. 266 , 115248 . https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envpol.2020.115248 Bongo net Greenland Plastic pollution Pump-filter system μFTIR-imaging /dk/atira/pure/sustainabledevelopmentgoals/life_below_water name=SDG 14 - Life Below Water article 2020 ftdtupubl https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envpol.2020.115248 2024-08-05T23:48:29Z Microplastics (MPs) are polluting the Arctic, but our understanding of their abundance, distribution, and sources is limited. This study quantified MPs down to 10 μm in marine waters of the most populated region in Greenland. A new plastic-free pump-filter system was used to collect MPs from surface waters in the fjord Nuup Kangerlua close to Nuuk. Additionally, we took samples by horizontal tows with a bongo net (300 μm mesh-size). The median concentrations were 142 MPs m −3 and 0.12 MPs m −3 in the pump and bongo samples, respectively. The most abundant polymer was polyester across stations and sampling types. Fibers were the dominant shape in the bongo samples, while non-fibrous particles dominated in the pump samples. MP abundance was lower in the fjord and increased close to Nuuk and towards the open ocean, indicating that Nuuk is an important point source for MPs. In both samples, concentrations of MPs increased with decreasing size, illustrating the importance of quantifying the smallest fraction of MPs. Thus, the use of methods allowing for a quantification of the smallest MPs is vital to reduce the underestimation of MP concentrations in the environment. The smallest size fraction is also most available to plankton-feeding marine invertebrates and an important entry point for MPs into marine food webs. At the found concentrations, immediate adverse effects on the pelagic food webs are unlikely. However, growing anthropogenic activities could increase the risk of MPs to affect the sensitive Arctic ecosystem. Article in Journal/Newspaper Arctic Greenland Nuuk Technical University of Denmark: DTU Orbit Environmental Pollution 266 115248 |
institution |
Open Polar |
collection |
Technical University of Denmark: DTU Orbit |
op_collection_id |
ftdtupubl |
language |
English |
topic |
Bongo net Greenland Plastic pollution Pump-filter system μFTIR-imaging /dk/atira/pure/sustainabledevelopmentgoals/life_below_water name=SDG 14 - Life Below Water |
spellingShingle |
Bongo net Greenland Plastic pollution Pump-filter system μFTIR-imaging /dk/atira/pure/sustainabledevelopmentgoals/life_below_water name=SDG 14 - Life Below Water Rist, Sinja Vianello, Alvise Winding, Mie Hylstofte Sichlau Nielsen, Torkel Gissel Almeda, Rodrigo Torres, Rocío Rodríguez Vollertsen, Jes Quantification of plankton-sized microplastics in a productive coastal Arctic marine ecosystem |
topic_facet |
Bongo net Greenland Plastic pollution Pump-filter system μFTIR-imaging /dk/atira/pure/sustainabledevelopmentgoals/life_below_water name=SDG 14 - Life Below Water |
description |
Microplastics (MPs) are polluting the Arctic, but our understanding of their abundance, distribution, and sources is limited. This study quantified MPs down to 10 μm in marine waters of the most populated region in Greenland. A new plastic-free pump-filter system was used to collect MPs from surface waters in the fjord Nuup Kangerlua close to Nuuk. Additionally, we took samples by horizontal tows with a bongo net (300 μm mesh-size). The median concentrations were 142 MPs m −3 and 0.12 MPs m −3 in the pump and bongo samples, respectively. The most abundant polymer was polyester across stations and sampling types. Fibers were the dominant shape in the bongo samples, while non-fibrous particles dominated in the pump samples. MP abundance was lower in the fjord and increased close to Nuuk and towards the open ocean, indicating that Nuuk is an important point source for MPs. In both samples, concentrations of MPs increased with decreasing size, illustrating the importance of quantifying the smallest fraction of MPs. Thus, the use of methods allowing for a quantification of the smallest MPs is vital to reduce the underestimation of MP concentrations in the environment. The smallest size fraction is also most available to plankton-feeding marine invertebrates and an important entry point for MPs into marine food webs. At the found concentrations, immediate adverse effects on the pelagic food webs are unlikely. However, growing anthropogenic activities could increase the risk of MPs to affect the sensitive Arctic ecosystem. |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Rist, Sinja Vianello, Alvise Winding, Mie Hylstofte Sichlau Nielsen, Torkel Gissel Almeda, Rodrigo Torres, Rocío Rodríguez Vollertsen, Jes |
author_facet |
Rist, Sinja Vianello, Alvise Winding, Mie Hylstofte Sichlau Nielsen, Torkel Gissel Almeda, Rodrigo Torres, Rocío Rodríguez Vollertsen, Jes |
author_sort |
Rist, Sinja |
title |
Quantification of plankton-sized microplastics in a productive coastal Arctic marine ecosystem |
title_short |
Quantification of plankton-sized microplastics in a productive coastal Arctic marine ecosystem |
title_full |
Quantification of plankton-sized microplastics in a productive coastal Arctic marine ecosystem |
title_fullStr |
Quantification of plankton-sized microplastics in a productive coastal Arctic marine ecosystem |
title_full_unstemmed |
Quantification of plankton-sized microplastics in a productive coastal Arctic marine ecosystem |
title_sort |
quantification of plankton-sized microplastics in a productive coastal arctic marine ecosystem |
publishDate |
2020 |
url |
https://orbit.dtu.dk/en/publications/3afa0de7-b3e9-44d4-aeca-e76ae5830719 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envpol.2020.115248 https://backend.orbit.dtu.dk/ws/files/217824454/Rist_et_al._2020_Postprint.pdf |
genre |
Arctic Greenland Nuuk |
genre_facet |
Arctic Greenland Nuuk |
op_source |
Rist , S , Vianello , A , Winding , M H S , Nielsen , T G , Almeda , R , Torres , R R & Vollertsen , J 2020 , ' Quantification of plankton-sized microplastics in a productive coastal Arctic marine ecosystem ' , Environmental Pollution , vol. 266 , 115248 . https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envpol.2020.115248 |
op_relation |
https://orbit.dtu.dk/en/publications/3afa0de7-b3e9-44d4-aeca-e76ae5830719 |
op_rights |
info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envpol.2020.115248 |
container_title |
Environmental Pollution |
container_volume |
266 |
container_start_page |
115248 |
_version_ |
1810292596710309888 |