Abundance and types of plastic pollution in surface waters in the eastern Arctic (Inuit Nunangat) and the case for reconciliation science
Plastics are not only an environmental concern but also an issue of justice in the Arctic, particularly in Inuit Nunangat (Inuit homelands), as plastics and other contaminants that originate in the south accumulate in the north and have implications for Inuit sovereignty and wellness. This collabora...
Published in: | Science of The Total Environment |
---|---|
Main Authors: | , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |
Format: | Article in Journal/Newspaper |
Language: | English |
Published: |
Zenodo
2021
|
Subjects: | |
Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2021.146809 |
id |
ftzenodo:oai:zenodo.org:4656892 |
---|---|
record_format |
openpolar |
spelling |
ftzenodo:oai:zenodo.org:4656892 2024-09-15T18:09:31+00:00 Abundance and types of plastic pollution in surface waters in the eastern Arctic (Inuit Nunangat) and the case for reconciliation science Liboiron, Max Zahara, Alex Hawkins, Kaitlyn Crespo, Christina de Moura Neves, Bárbara Wareham-Hayes, Vonda Edinger, Evan Muise, Charlotte Walzak, Mary Jane Sarazen, Rebecca Chidley, Jillian Mills, Carley Watwood, Lauren Arif, Hridisha Earles, Elise Pijogge, Liz Shirley, Jamal Jacobs, Jesse McCarney, Paul Charron, Louis 2021-03-31 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2021.146809 eng eng Zenodo https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2021.146809 oai:zenodo.org:4656892 info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/legalcode Science of the Total Environment, (2021-03-31) Arctic plastic surface water marine debris colonialism Greenland Nunavut Inuit Nunangat reconciliation science info:eu-repo/semantics/article 2021 ftzenodo https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2021.146809 2024-07-26T22:04:27Z Plastics are not only an environmental concern but also an issue of justice in the Arctic, particularly in Inuit Nunangat (Inuit homelands), as plastics and other contaminants that originate in the south accumulate in the north and have implications for Inuit sovereignty and wellness. This collaborative study finds an average of 0.018 plastics/m 2 in surface waters in two sites in the eastern Arctic (Tasiujarjuaq in Nunavut near Iqaluit and southwest Greenland offshore from Qaqortoq and Narsaq). A comparison with other studies shows this abundance of plastics is lesser than abundances reported further north in the Arctic, but greater than adjacent waters further south. However, within and across study areas at similar latitudes, there does not appear to be a significant difference in plastic abundance. Some characteristics of recovered plastics such as morphology and colour support local origins, while others support long range transport. Research moving forward should consider relative scales in spatial trends of plastic abundance. The discussion concludes by reflecting on the methods and findings in terms of their role in Inuit governance and research relationships, including elements of research personnel, permitting, categorization, measurement, and reporting findings. Our goal is to provide insights of where we, as scientists, may choose to intentionally move our scientific work towards reconciliation while we produce knowledge about environmental pollution in Inuit Nunangat and the Arctic broadly. Article in Journal/Newspaper Greenland inuit Iqaluit Narsaq Nunavut Qaqortoq Zenodo Science of The Total Environment 782 146809 |
institution |
Open Polar |
collection |
Zenodo |
op_collection_id |
ftzenodo |
language |
English |
topic |
Arctic plastic surface water marine debris colonialism Greenland Nunavut Inuit Nunangat reconciliation science |
spellingShingle |
Arctic plastic surface water marine debris colonialism Greenland Nunavut Inuit Nunangat reconciliation science Liboiron, Max Zahara, Alex Hawkins, Kaitlyn Crespo, Christina de Moura Neves, Bárbara Wareham-Hayes, Vonda Edinger, Evan Muise, Charlotte Walzak, Mary Jane Sarazen, Rebecca Chidley, Jillian Mills, Carley Watwood, Lauren Arif, Hridisha Earles, Elise Pijogge, Liz Shirley, Jamal Jacobs, Jesse McCarney, Paul Charron, Louis Abundance and types of plastic pollution in surface waters in the eastern Arctic (Inuit Nunangat) and the case for reconciliation science |
topic_facet |
Arctic plastic surface water marine debris colonialism Greenland Nunavut Inuit Nunangat reconciliation science |
description |
Plastics are not only an environmental concern but also an issue of justice in the Arctic, particularly in Inuit Nunangat (Inuit homelands), as plastics and other contaminants that originate in the south accumulate in the north and have implications for Inuit sovereignty and wellness. This collaborative study finds an average of 0.018 plastics/m 2 in surface waters in two sites in the eastern Arctic (Tasiujarjuaq in Nunavut near Iqaluit and southwest Greenland offshore from Qaqortoq and Narsaq). A comparison with other studies shows this abundance of plastics is lesser than abundances reported further north in the Arctic, but greater than adjacent waters further south. However, within and across study areas at similar latitudes, there does not appear to be a significant difference in plastic abundance. Some characteristics of recovered plastics such as morphology and colour support local origins, while others support long range transport. Research moving forward should consider relative scales in spatial trends of plastic abundance. The discussion concludes by reflecting on the methods and findings in terms of their role in Inuit governance and research relationships, including elements of research personnel, permitting, categorization, measurement, and reporting findings. Our goal is to provide insights of where we, as scientists, may choose to intentionally move our scientific work towards reconciliation while we produce knowledge about environmental pollution in Inuit Nunangat and the Arctic broadly. |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Liboiron, Max Zahara, Alex Hawkins, Kaitlyn Crespo, Christina de Moura Neves, Bárbara Wareham-Hayes, Vonda Edinger, Evan Muise, Charlotte Walzak, Mary Jane Sarazen, Rebecca Chidley, Jillian Mills, Carley Watwood, Lauren Arif, Hridisha Earles, Elise Pijogge, Liz Shirley, Jamal Jacobs, Jesse McCarney, Paul Charron, Louis |
author_facet |
Liboiron, Max Zahara, Alex Hawkins, Kaitlyn Crespo, Christina de Moura Neves, Bárbara Wareham-Hayes, Vonda Edinger, Evan Muise, Charlotte Walzak, Mary Jane Sarazen, Rebecca Chidley, Jillian Mills, Carley Watwood, Lauren Arif, Hridisha Earles, Elise Pijogge, Liz Shirley, Jamal Jacobs, Jesse McCarney, Paul Charron, Louis |
author_sort |
Liboiron, Max |
title |
Abundance and types of plastic pollution in surface waters in the eastern Arctic (Inuit Nunangat) and the case for reconciliation science |
title_short |
Abundance and types of plastic pollution in surface waters in the eastern Arctic (Inuit Nunangat) and the case for reconciliation science |
title_full |
Abundance and types of plastic pollution in surface waters in the eastern Arctic (Inuit Nunangat) and the case for reconciliation science |
title_fullStr |
Abundance and types of plastic pollution in surface waters in the eastern Arctic (Inuit Nunangat) and the case for reconciliation science |
title_full_unstemmed |
Abundance and types of plastic pollution in surface waters in the eastern Arctic (Inuit Nunangat) and the case for reconciliation science |
title_sort |
abundance and types of plastic pollution in surface waters in the eastern arctic (inuit nunangat) and the case for reconciliation science |
publisher |
Zenodo |
publishDate |
2021 |
url |
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2021.146809 |
genre |
Greenland inuit Iqaluit Narsaq Nunavut Qaqortoq |
genre_facet |
Greenland inuit Iqaluit Narsaq Nunavut Qaqortoq |
op_source |
Science of the Total Environment, (2021-03-31) |
op_relation |
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2021.146809 oai:zenodo.org:4656892 |
op_rights |
info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/legalcode |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2021.146809 |
container_title |
Science of The Total Environment |
container_volume |
782 |
container_start_page |
146809 |
_version_ |
1810447094518906880 |