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Protocol for Microplastics Sampling on the Sea Surface and Sample Analysis
Published on: December 16, 2016
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To what extent are microplastics from the open ocean weathered?
Alexandra Ter Halle1, Lucie Ladirat1, Marion Martignac1
1Laboratoire des IMRCP, Université de Toulouse, CNRS UMR 5623, Université Paul Sabatier, 118 Route de Narbonne, 31062 Toulouse Cedex 9, France.
Environmental Pollution (Barking, Essex : 1987)
|May 2, 2017
Summary
Marine plastic debris, primarily polyethylene (PE), undergoes significant degradation in the environment. Analysis reveals altered morphology and shortened polymer chains in microplastics and mesoplastics recovered from the North Atlantic gyre.
Area of Science:
- Environmental Science
- Polymer Science
- Marine Biology
Background:
- Marine plastic debris, predominantly polyethylene (PE) and polypropylene (PP), poses environmental risks.
- Understanding the weathering of plastics like PE in marine environments is crucial but challenging due to varied origins.
- Previous studies focused on controlled laboratory conditions for PE degradation, leaving environmental weathering poorly understood.
Purpose of the Study:
- To characterize the degradation state of marine plastic debris, specifically polyethylene (PE).
- To compare the properties of weathered PE debris (mesoplastics and microplastics) with reference samples.
- To investigate the impact of environmental exposure on PE polymer chains.
Main Methods:
- Collection of plastic debris from the North Atlantic sub-tropical gyre.
- Statistical comparison of four sample sets: reference PE, manufactured objects, mesoplastics (5-20 mm), and microplastics (0.3-5 mm).
- Analysis using Infrared Spectroscopy, Differential Scanning Calorimetry, and Size Exclusion Chromatography.
Main Results:
- All collected debris samples showed a higher surface oxidation state compared to reference PE.
- Microplastics exhibited increased crystallinity, while mesoplastics were similar to reference samples.
- Size exclusion chromatography confirmed a decrease in molar mass from reference to meso- and microplastics, indicating polymer chain degradation.
Conclusions:
- Marine microplastics and mesoplastics composed of polyethylene show significant signs of environmental weathering.
- Polymer chain degradation, evidenced by reduced molar mass, occurs even in supposedly robust polymers like PE.
- The morphology of marine microplastic is substantially altered due to environmental exposure.
Keywords:
BiodegradationEnvironmental degradationMarine debrisMicroplasticPhoto-oxidationPhotodegradationPolyethylenePolymer
