Microplastics in the Arctic: a transect through the Barents Sea
Microplastics in the Arctic: a transect through the Barents Sea
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DOI：
10.3389/fmars.2023.1241829
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发表时间：
2023-08
影响因子：
3.7
通讯作者：
H. Emberson-Marl;R. Coppock;M. Cole;B. Godley;N. Mimpriss;S. Nelms;P. Lindeque
中科院分区：
文献类型：
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作者：
H. Emberson-Marl;R. Coppock;M. Cole;B. Godley;N. Mimpriss;S. Nelms;P. Lindeque
在全球范围内，海洋中的微塑料含量正在增加，包括极地偏远地区。毗邻北冰洋的巴伦支海是一个初级生产力很高的区域，由于区域洋流的汇合，该区域被认为可能是第六个海洋环流，可能会聚集高浓度的塑料碎片。该研究旨在探索从巴伦支海断面收集的大量地下水样本中收集的数据，以量化和分析该地区的微塑料，重点是对浮游动物的潜在影响。总体而言，巴伦支海的平均微塑料丰度为0.011 m3（范围：0.007 - 0.015 m3）。微塑料被发现在更高的丰度接近地块在样带的南端和向北的冰边缘，记录0.015微塑料m-3在两个样带腿。微塑料主要是纤维状的（92.1%），颜色通常为蓝色（79%）或红色（17%）。确定了一系列聚合物，包括聚酯（3.8%），共聚物共混物（2.7%），弹性体（7.1%）和丙烯酸树脂（10.6%），然而半合成聚合物占主导地位，占发现颗粒的74.4%。最北端断面的微塑料浓度较高可能源于海冰融化，而最南端的样带中较高的浓度可能来自于来自欧洲的洋流对微塑料的远距离运输。
Globally, the abundance of microplastics in our oceans is increasing, including within the remote locations of the polar regions. The Barents Sea, which adjoins the Arctic Ocean, is an area of high primary productivity that, owing to the convergence of regional currents, has been mooted as a potential sixth ocean gyre that may coalesce high concentrations of plastic debris. This study aimed to explore data collected from large volume samples of sub-surface water collected from transects through the Barents Sea to quantify and characterise microplastics in this region, with a focus on potential impacts to zooplankton. Overall, the mean microplastic abundance in the Barents Sea was 0.011 microplastics m-3 (range: 0.007 – 0.015 m-3). Microplastics were found in higher abundances nearer land mass at the southern end of the transect and northwards towards the ice edge, recording 0.015 microplastics m-3 during both transect legs. Microplastics were predominantly fibrous (92.1%) and typically blue (79%) or red (17%) in colour. A range of polymers were identified including polyester (3.8%), copolymer blends (2.7%), elastomers (7.1%) and acrylics (10.6%), however semi-synthetic polymers dominated, comprising 74.4% of particles found. Higher microplastic concentrations in the northernmost transect may stem from melting sea-ice, while the higher concentrations in the southernmost transect likely derive from the long-range transport of microplastics via currents from Europe.