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Protocol for Microplastics Sampling on the Sea Surface and Sample Analysis

Protocol for Microplastics Sampling on the Sea Surface and Sample Analysis

Published on: December 16, 2016

Tracing microplastics in aquatic environments based on sediment analogies.

Kristina Enders¹, Andrea Käppler², Oliver Biniasch¹

¹Leibniz Institute for Baltic Sea Research Warnemünde (IOW), Seestraße 15, 18119, Rostock, DE, Germany.

Scientific Reports

|October 25, 2019

Summary

Collecting microplastic (MP) data is difficult and expensive. Sediment grain size is a key factor for predicting MP abundance in aquatic environments, enabling better quantification.

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Area of Science:

Environmental Science
Marine Biology
Ecotoxicology

Background:

Microplastic (MP) quantification in aquatic environments is limited by costly data collection and variability from hydrodynamic processes.
Existing MP datasets are often compared without considering natural particle distribution patterns.

Purpose of the Study:

To investigate the relationship between microplastic abundance and sediment characteristics in estuarine environments.
To identify reliable proxies for microplastic quantification and improve regional and global MP assessments.

Main Methods:

Analyzed high-density polymer size fractions (≥500 µm) in Warnow estuarine sediments (Germany).
Correlated MP abundance with various predictor variables, focusing on sediment grain size.
Investigated the physical principles governing particle transport and deposition.

Main Results:

Significant correlations were found between high-density MP size fractions and sediment grain size.
Sediment grain size emerged as the critical proxy for MP abundance, outperforming other environmental factors.
The transport dynamics explain the observed MP-sediment relationship, with size offsets of one to two orders of magnitude.

Conclusions:

Sediment grain size is a crucial factor influencing microplastic distribution and abundance in estuarine systems.
Fractionated granulometric normalization is recommended for accurate MP abundance determination.
This approach will enhance future microplastic projections and aid in identifying pollution sources and sinks.