Microplastics Baseline Surveys at the Water Surface and in Sediments of the North-East Atlantic

• Published in: Frontiers in Marine Science
• Main Authors: Maes, Thomas, Van der Meulen, Myra D., Devriese, Lisa I., Leslie, Heather A., Huvet, Arnaud, Frère, Laura, Robbens, Johan, Vethaak, A. Dick
• Other Authors: Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science Lowestoft (CEFAS), Vrije universiteit = Free university of Amsterdam Amsterdam (VU), Deltares The Netherlands, Laboratoire des Sciences de l'Environnement Marin (LEMAR) (LEMAR), Institut Universitaire Européen de la Mer (IUEM), Institut de Recherche pour le Développement (IRD)-Institut national des sciences de l'Univers (INSU - CNRS)-Université de Brest (UBO)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Institut de Recherche pour le Développement (IRD)-Institut national des sciences de l'Univers (INSU - CNRS)-Université de Brest (UBO)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Institut Français de Recherche pour l'Exploitation de la Mer (IFREMER)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Université de Brest (UBO), Institut Français de Recherche pour l'Exploitation de la Mer - Brest (IFREMER Centre de Bretagne), Institut Français de Recherche pour l'Exploitation de la Mer (IFREMER), Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: HAL CCSD 2017
• Subjects: ACL; Microplastics; sediment; baseline; Floating debris; marine litter; Marine Strategy Framework Directive (MSFD); envir; geo; North East Atlantic
• Online Access: https://doi.org/10.3389/fmars.2017.00135; https://hal.archives-ouvertes.fr/hal-02612003/file/Maes_etal_Fmars_2017.pdf; https://hal.archives-ouvertes.fr/hal-02612003

International audience Microplastic contamination was determined in sediments of the Southern North Sea and floating at the sea surface of North West Europe. Floating concentrations ranged between zero and 1.5 microplastic/m3, whereas microplastic concentrations in sediments ranged between zero and 3146 particles/kg dry weight sediment. In sediments, mainly fibers and spheres were found, whereas at the sea surface fragments were dominant. At the sea surface, concentrations of microplastics are lower and more variable than in sediments, meaning that larger sample sizes and water volumes are required to find detectable concentrations. We have calculated the widths of the confidence intervals (CI) for different sample sizes, to give a first indication of the necessary sample size for a microplastic survey at the water surface. Higher concentrations of floating microplastics were found near estuaries. In sediments, estuaries and areas with a high organic carbon content were likely hotspots. Standardization of monitoring methods within marine regions is recommended to compare and assess microplastics pollution over time.