Microplastic concentrations in beach sediments along the German Baltic coast

Stolte, Andrea; Förster, Stefan; Gerdts, Gunnar; Schubert, Hendrik

doi:10.1016/j.marpolbul.2015.07.022

Cited by 427 publications

(161 citation statements)

References 31 publications

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“…In huge variety of coast (Ng and Obbard 2006; Claessens et al 2011; Lee et al 2013; Laglbauer et al 2014; Stolte et al 2015) and marine bottom types (Norén 2007; Claessens et al 2013; Vianello et al 2013), different factors can be crucial for abundance of plastic pollution. Marine bottom sediments were sampled mostly in shallow waters, harbors, or offshore (Norén 2007; Claessens et al 2013; Vianello et al 2013).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Sources of microplastics in the marine environment have not been fully examined. Their inputs might be expected from harbors and shipyards, fisheries, wastewater treatment plants, coastal tourism (Stolte et al 2015), urban runoff (Patters and Bratton 2016), and rivers (Woodall et al 2014). Their fate in beach and bottom sediments is still not fully understood.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Sources and fate of microplastics in marine and beach sediments of the Southern Baltic Sea—a preliminary study

Graca

Szewc

Zakrzewska

et al. 2017

Environ Sci Pollut Res

271

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Microplastics’ (particles size ≤5 mm) sources and fate in marine bottom and beach sediments of the brackish are strongly polluted Baltic Sea have been investigated. Microplastics were extracted using sodium chloride (1.2 g cm−3). Their qualitative identification was conducted using micro-Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (μFT-IR). Concentration of microplastics varied from 25 particles kg−1 d.w. at the open sea beach to 53 particles kg−1 d.w. at beaches of strongly urbanized bay. In bottom sediments, microplastics concentration was visibly lower compared to beach sediments (0–27 particles kg−1 d.w.) and decreased from the shore to the open, deep-sea regions. The most frequent microplastics dimensions ranged from 0.1 to 2.0 mm, and transparent fibers were predominant. Polyester, which is a popular fabrics component, was the most common type of microplastic in both marine bottom (50%) and beach sediments (27%). Additionally, poly(vinyl acetate) used in shipbuilding as well as poly(ethylene-propylene) used for packaging were numerous in marine bottom (25% of all polymers) and beach sediments (18% of all polymers). Polymer density seems to be an important factor influencing microplastics circulation. Low density plastic debris probably recirculates between beach sediments and seawater in a greater extent than higher density debris. Therefore, their deposition is potentially limited and physical degradation is favored. Consequently, low density microplastics concentration may be underestimated using current methods due to too small size of the debris. This influences also the findings of qualitative research of microplastics which provide the basis for conclusions about the sources of microplastics in the marine environment.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Sources and fate of microplastics in marine and beach sediments of the Southern Baltic Sea—a preliminary study

Graca

Szewc

Zakrzewska

et al. 2017

Environ Sci Pollut Res

271

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show abstract

“…Thiel et al, 2003;Sadri and Thompson, 2014;Zhao et al, 2014), coastal sediments (e.g. Claessens et al, 2011;Liebezeit and Dubaish, 2012;van Cauwenberghe et al, 2013van Cauwenberghe et al, , 2014Stolte et al, 2015) as well as in marine organisms which ingest them with their nourishment (e.g. Boerger et al, 2010;Davison and Asch, 2011;Cole et al, 2013).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Sinking rates of microplastics and potential implications of their alteration by physical, biological, and chemical factors

Kowalski

Reichardt

Waniek

2016

Marine Pollution Bulletin

499

222

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“…Among them can be distinguished: wastewater treatment plants, cargo shipping, fisheries, human waste from beaches and urban runoff [Cole et al 2011, Stolte et al 2015, Peters and Bratton 2016, Alomar et al 2016, Michielssen et al 2016, Solomon and Palanisami 2016, Graca et al 2017, Mintening et al 2017, Wright and Kelly, 2017 Baltic Sea water, which suggests that tourist activity could be a major entry path for potential synthetic fibres as well.…”

Section: Sources and Transport Pathsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Plastic pollutants in water environment

Mrowiec

2017

Ochrona Srodowiska I Zasobów Naturalnych

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Nowadays, wide applications of plastics result in plastic waste being present in the water environment in a wide variety of sizes. Plastic wastes are in water mainly as microplastics (the size range of 1 nm to < 5 mm). Microplastics have been recognized as an emerging threat, as well as ecotoxicological and ecological risk for water ecosystems. In this review are presented some of the physicochemical properties of plastic materials that determine their toxic effect on the aquatic environment. Wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) are mentioned as one of main sources of microplastics introduced into fresh water, and rivers are the pathways for the transportation of the pollutants to seas and oceans. But, effluents from tertiary wastewater treatment facilities can contain only minimally microplastic loads. The issue of discharge reduction of plastic pollutants into water environment needs activities in the scope of efficient wastewater treatment, waste disposal, recycling of plastic materials, education and public involvement.

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Microplastic concentrations in beach sediments along the German Baltic coast

Cited by 427 publications

References 31 publications

Sources and fate of microplastics in marine and beach sediments of the Southern Baltic Sea—a preliminary study

Sources and fate of microplastics in marine and beach sediments of the Southern Baltic Sea—a preliminary study

Sinking rates of microplastics and potential implications of their alteration by physical, biological, and chemical factors

Plastic pollutants in water environment

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