Article
Environmental Sciences
Javier Lenzi, Fiorella Bresesti, Juan Pablo Lozoya, Barbara De Feo, Evelyn Krojmal, Gissell Lacerot, Christina Braun, Franco Teixeira de Mello
Summary: This study characterized the diet and debris ingestion of skuas in the Antarctic region using pellet analysis. It compared the habits of two skua species and found that their diets were generalist and opportunistic. The study also suggested that brown skuas did not displace south polar skuas from penguin breeding colonies. The results highlight the importance of addressing local anthropogenic sources of debris for mitigation efforts.
MARINE POLLUTION BULLETIN
(2022)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Naiara Klopertanz, Martin Amestoy, Sergio Abate, Marina Winter
Summary: While the impact of plastic debris in Argentina has increased significantly in recent years, evidence of ingestion of such debris remains relatively low compared to other regions. This study found that one Great Grebe had ingested a single macroplastic piece, a yellow elastic band.
MARINE POLLUTION BULLETIN
(2022)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Miran Kim, Mi-jin Hong, Ki-baek Nam, Yang-mo Kim, Chang-uk Park, Youngsoo Kwon
Summary: This study examined plastic ingestion in Swinhoe's storm petrels on Chilbal Island, finding that both adults and juveniles consumed mainly microplastics. Juveniles consumed a higher average amount of plastic than adults, with the type of ingested plastic differing between the two age groups. These findings suggest that monitoring plastic ingestion in the future should consider individual age.
MARINE POLLUTION BULLETIN
(2023)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Ana C. Ronda, Gabriela Blasina, Luisina Carozza Renaud, M. Clara Menendez, Juan Pablo Tomba, Leonel Ignacio Silva, Andres H. Arias
Summary: The study investigated the ingestion of microplastics by the zooplanktivorous fish Ramnogaster arcuata in different sites of the Bahia Blanca estuary in Argentina, and its effect on feeding activity. Results showed that all specimens ingested microplastics, with different levels and characteristics depending on the site. The highest ingestion occurred near the sewage discharge, mostly consisting of microfibers and microbeads. The study suggests that microplastics negatively affect the feeding activity of R. arcuata and provides insights into the mechanisms of ingestion by this bioindicator fish in South America.
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2023)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Joaquin Munoz, Rodrigo Forselledo, Andres Domingo, Sebastian Jimenez
Summary: This study assessed the interspecific variability in plastic ingestion by albatrosses and petrels using bycaught birds from fisheries of the Southwest Atlantic. The results show significant differences in plastic ingestion among different species, which may be associated with digestive tract morphology, foraging techniques, body size, interaction with fishing vessels, and the availability of plastics at the sea surface.
MARINE POLLUTION BULLETIN
(2023)
Article
Environmental Sciences
M. S. Carrillo, D. I. Archuby, G. Castresana, M. Lunardelli, D. Montalti, A. E. Ibanez
Summary: The study aimed to investigate the presence of microplastics in migratory seabirds and their prey during the non-breeding season. Microplastics were found in the gastrointestinal tract of the Common terns and in their regurgitated prey, indicating trophic transfer. The most abundant types of microplastics were cellulose ester plastics, polyethylene terephtalate, polyacrylonitrile, and polypropylene in both the birds and their prey. These results highlight the high levels of ingested microplastics in Common terns and their prey, raising concerns for this important location for migratory seabirds.
ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION
(2023)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Stine Charlotte Benjaminsen, Sophie Bourgeon, Dorte Herzke, Amalie Ask, France Collard, Geir Wing Gabrielsen
Summary: Arctic wildlife, including seabirds, is facing increasing plastic pollution. Our study focused on the occurrence of plastics in glaucous gulls on Svalbard, and found that they have ingested plastic, providing new data for future research and monitoring.
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2022)
Article
Limnology
Ryan P. Bos, Shiye Zhao, Tracey T. Sutton, Tamara M. Frank
Summary: A study investigated microplastic ingestion by vertically migrating and nonmigrating mesopelagic crustaceans and fishes in the Gulf of Mexico. The results showed that 29% of crustaceans and 26% of fishes had ingested microplastics, with an average plastic length of 0.59 mm. Nonmigratory crustaceans had significantly higher levels of microplastic ingestion than migratory crustaceans, and the frequency of microplastic ingestion by nonmigratory fishes increased with depth.
LIMNOLOGY AND OCEANOGRAPHY
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Analytical
Magali Albignac, Tiago de Oliveira, Louisa Landebrit, Sebastien Miquel, Benoit Auguin, Eric Leroy, Emmanuelle Maria, Anne Francoise Mingotaud, Alexandra ter Halle
Summary: The study demonstrates the ability of pyrolysis gas chromatography-mass spectrometry to quantify microplastics and aims to provide a more sensitive and selective method using tandem mass spectrometry. External calibration for six polymers in the nanogram range was performed using homogeneous and repeatable solid standards. Multiple reaction monitoring optimization was carried out, and the detection limit ranged from 15 to 70 ng depending on the polymer. Tandem mass spectrometry was necessary for the unequivocal detection of polymers like polyethylene and polypropylene.
JOURNAL OF ANALYTICAL AND APPLIED PYROLYSIS
(2023)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Shitong Li, Fan Ding, Markus Flury, Zhan Wang, Li Xu, Shuangyi Li, Davey L. Jones, Jingkuan Wang
Summary: Plastic film mulch is an agricultural technology that significantly increases agricultural production but also leads to severe plastic pollution. This study found a considerable accumulation of macro- and micro-plastics in soil after 32 years of continuous plastic mulch film use in an agricultural field. The long-term use of plastic film mulch not only causes surface pollution but also contamination in deep soil layers, making removal and remediation challenging.
ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION
(2022)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Stefanie Reinold, Alicia Herrera, Francesco Saliu, Carlos Hernandez-Gonzalez, Ico Martinez, Marina Lasagni, May Gomez
Summary: The presence of microplastics in seafood, particularly in farmed fish, is a concerning issue as it poses potential risks to human health. A study conducted in Tenerife, Spain found that 65% of the examined fish cultivated in coastal waters contained microplastics in their gastrointestinal tracts. Fibres and fragments were the predominant shapes of microplastics detected, with varying compositions.
MARINE POLLUTION BULLETIN
(2021)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Zara L. R. Botterell, Melanie Bergmann, Nicole Hildebrandt, Thomas Krumpen, Michael Steinke, Richard C. Thompson, Penelope K. Lindeque
Summary: Research has shown that Arctic zooplankton have ingested microplastics, with the smaller-sized microplastics being selected for by the zooplankton. The ingestion of high concentrations of microplastics could have negative effects on the growth, development, and fecundity of the zooplankton. As global plastic consumption increases and climate change reduces sea ice cover, the Arctic could be exposed to further plastic pollution, putting additional strain on this fragile ecosystem.
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2022)
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Win Cowger, Andrew B. Gray, James J. Guilinger, Brandon Fong, Kryss Waldschlaeger
Summary: Current methods for monitoring and modeling the transport of microplastic pollution in rivers rely heavily on surface sampling and assumptions about concentration depth profiles, leading to potential uncertainties. To improve accuracy, a broader adoption of depth-integrated sampling, characterization of particle concentration depth profiles, and estimation of uncertainties in depth-averaged concentration based on the sampling approach would be beneficial.
ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Victoria M. Fulfer, Susanne Menden-Deuer
Summary: Microplastics are common pollutants in marine ecosystems globally, which can threaten fisheries production, food safety, and human health. Experimental results show that ingestion of microplastics can lead to reduced growth and secondary production in heterotrophic dinoflagellates.
FRONTIERS IN MARINE SCIENCE
(2021)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Alberto Navarro, Octavio Perez Luzardo, May Gomez, Andrea Acosta-Dacal, Ico Martinez, Jorge Felipe de la Rosa, Ana Macias-Montes, Alejandro Suarez-Perez, Alicia Herrera
Summary: Plastic pollution is a current environmental problem in the Canary Islands. However, there is a lack of studies evaluating the impact of plastics on the local avifauna. In this study, the gastrointestinal tracts of 88 birds from 14 species were examined for plastic ingestion, and their livers were analyzed for the presence of various organic pollutants. The results reveal a high frequency of plastic ingestion in Cory's shearwaters, with most of the ingested items originating from fishing gear. Furthermore, the presence of organic pollutants such as PCBs, PAHs, and OCPs was detected in all or most of the samples. These findings highlight the threats posed by plastic debris and organic pollutants to seabirds in this region.
MARINE POLLUTION BULLETIN
(2023)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Atefeh Zendehboudi, Azam Mohammadi, Sina Dobaradaran, Gabriel E. De-la-Torre, Bahman Ramavandi, Seyed Enayat Hashemi, Reza Saeedi, Emran Moradpour Tayebi, Ahmad Vafaee, Amirhossein Darabi
Summary: This study investigated the characteristics and ecological risks of microplastics (MPs) in ballast water for the first time, and found high levels of MP pollution. These findings contribute to our understanding of the sources and risks of microplastics in marine ecosystems.
MARINE POLLUTION BULLETIN
(2024)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Rose Boahemaa Pinto, Linda Bogerd, Martine van der Ploeg, Kwame Duah, Remko Uijlenhoet, Tim H. M. van Emmerik
Summary: Catchment-scale plastic pollution assessments provide insights into the sources, sinks, and pathways of plastic pollution. We propose an approach to quantify macroplastic transport and density in the Odaw catchment, Ghana, and find that the urban riverine zone has the highest transport, while the urban tidal zone has the highest riverbank and land macroplastic density.
MARINE POLLUTION BULLETIN
(2024)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Aliya Baidourela, Qian Sun, Gongxin Yang, Umut Halik, Zhongkai Dong, Kaixu Cai, Guili Sun, Wenya Zhang, Sisi Cheng
Summary: The study focused on heavy metal pollution in the green vegetation of a suburban industrial area in Tuokexun County, Xinjiang, China. The results showed that the overall level of heavy metal pollution in the soil was minor, with mercury (Hg) being the most severe contamination, likely caused by human activities. The composition of heavy metal elements in trees was more stable compared to grass and shrubs, with varying concentrations across different vegetation. Shrubbery was found to be the most effective in heavy metal restoration, and there were disparities in heavy metal enrichment among different vegetation types.
MARINE POLLUTION BULLETIN
(2024)
Article
Environmental Sciences
James H. Bridson, Hayden Masterton, Beatrix Theobald, Regis Risani, Fraser Doake, Jessica A. Wallbank, Stefan D. M. Maday, Gavin Lear, Robert Abbel, Dawn A. Smith, Joanne M. Kingsbury, Olga Pantos, Grant L. Northcott, Sally Gaw
Summary: Plastic pollution has significant environmental impacts, largely due to chemical additives. However, the behavior of plastic additives in marine environments is not well understood. A marine deployment experiment was conducted to investigate the effects of weathering on the extractables profile of four types of plastics in New Zealand over a period of nine months. The concentration of additives in polyethylene and oxo-degradable polyethylene was strongly influenced by artificial weathering, while polyamide 6 and polyethylene terephthalate showed minimal change. These findings emphasize the importance of considering leaching and weathering effects on plastic composition when assessing the potential impact and risk of plastic pollution in receiving environments.
MARINE POLLUTION BULLETIN
(2024)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Alan G. Scarlett, Francis D. Spilsbury, Steven J. Rowland, Marthe Monique Gagnon, Kliti Grice
Summary: This study used diamondoid hydrocarbon distributions to identify the sources of environmental oil contamination. A suite of 20 diamondoids was found to accumulate in fish adipose tissue. The scatter plots of indices between fish and exposure oils showed a close to ideal 1:1 relationship, which can be used to determine the origin of the oil.
MARINE POLLUTION BULLETIN
(2024)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Shan Jiang, Mengmeng Wan, Kun Lin, Yanshan Chen, Rui Wang, Liju Tan, Jiangtao Wang
Summary: In this study, the concentration, composition, distribution, and sources of PCBs in surface seawater of the Bohai Bay were analyzed. The results showed that PCBs in the Bohai Bay had high concentrations and were primarily derived from land-based sources such as port activities and river inputs. The PCBs in the Bohai Bay may come from commercial PCBs and their incineration products, municipal landfills, wood and coal combustion, and industrial activities, etc.
MARINE POLLUTION BULLETIN
(2024)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Icaro S. A. Porto, Saulo V. A. Dantas, Caio S. A. Felix, Francisco A. S. Cunha, Jailson B. de Andrade, Sergio L. C. Ferreira
Summary: This study evaluated the risks of mercury levels in sardines consumed by low-income population in Salvador, Brazil. The results showed that the mercury content in the sampled sardines posed no risks to human health. This study is significant as most sardines in Salvador come from Todos os Santos Bay, which has a history of mercury contamination.
MARINE POLLUTION BULLETIN
(2024)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Jiahui Chen, Chengyu Yuan, Guanqun Zhai, Guangcheng Chen, Heng Zhu, Jun Liu, Yong Ye
Summary: This study investigated the combined influences of species selection and site elevation on greenhouse gas fluxes from restored mangrove soils. The results suggest that Avicennia marina should be selected for mangrove restoration to minimize carbon release and reduce the influence of greenhouse gas fluxes on the global greenhouse effect.
MARINE POLLUTION BULLETIN
(2024)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Emmanuel Onyeabor, Uju Obuka
Summary: The Gulf of Guinea region in Africa is a significant area for coastal countries, playing a vital role in their economic and environmental development. This study aims to reduce marine plastic pollution in the region by utilizing legal instruments.
MARINE POLLUTION BULLETIN
(2024)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Yuanli Liu, Stephan Luttjohann, Alvise Vianello, Claudia Lorenz, Fan Liu, Jes Vollertsen
Summary: Large area attenuated total reflectance-Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (LAATR-FTIR) is a novel technique for detecting small microplastics, with limited accuracy for large microplastics. However, it shows promise in homogeneous matrices. The spectra quality is comparable between transmission mode and LAATR mode.
MARINE POLLUTION BULLETIN
(2024)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Phuc T. D. Le, Andrew M. Fischer, Britta D. Hardesty, Heidi J. Auman, Chris Wilcox
Summary: This study explores the relationship between ocean currents and the accumulation of floating marine debris (FMD) and finds that higher concentrations of FMD are associated with frontal frequencies (FF). FMD is primarily trapped in accumulation zones between fronts and the coastline, which have high biodiversity value.
MARINE POLLUTION BULLETIN
(2024)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Rosa Sawan, Perine Doyen, Florence Viudes, Rachid Amara, Celine Mahfouz
Summary: Few studies have examined the impact of urbanization and meteorological events on microplastics discharged into the sea through rivers. Surface water samples were collected from two Lebanese rivers, with differing degrees of urbanization, during dry and wet periods. The results showed that the most industrialized river had a significantly higher abundance of microplastics compared to the less-industrialized river. There was also a correlation between particle contamination and the season at each site, with microplastic concentrations highest on the first day of the wet season. These findings highlight the importance of considering meteorological events in accurately assessing plastic pollution influx into coastal waters.
MARINE POLLUTION BULLETIN
(2024)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Katherine R. Shaw, Jonathan L. Whitney, Eileen M. Nalley, Madeline C. Schmidbauer, Megan J. Donahue, Jesse Black, Raquel N. Corniuk, Kellie Teague, Rachel Sandquist, Catherine Pirkle, Rachel Dacks, Max Sudnovsky, Jennifer M. Lynch
Summary: This study examines the ingestion of plastic in reef fish in the Republic of the Marshall Islands. Plastic particles were found in the gastrointestinal tracts of multiple fish species. However, further analysis revealed that these particles were actually natural materials and posed no threat to human consumers.
MARINE POLLUTION BULLETIN
(2024)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Revati Hardikar, C. K. Haridevi, Shantaj Deshbhratar
Summary: This study investigated the variability in phytoplankton functional structure using a trait-based approach and explored the relationship between species traits and environmental factors, as well as their impact on ecosystem functioning. The results revealed that morphological traits, temperature, and ammonia played a decisive role in the seasonal succession of phytoplankton species. It was found that certain traits favored higher biomass production but might hinder energy transfer efficiency. The strong correlation between environmental variables and phytoplankton functional structure supports the practical implementation of a trait-based approach in studying phytoplankton community dynamics under different environmental conditions.
MARINE POLLUTION BULLETIN
(2024)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Engki A. Kisnarti, Nining Sari Ningsih, Mutiara R. Putri, Nani Hendiarti, Bernhard Mayer
Summary: This study examines the movement patterns of plastic marine debris in Indonesian waters, revealing that Indonesia contributes significantly to transboundary marine debris in the Pacific Ocean, Indian Ocean, and the South China Sea. Most of the debris remains in Indonesian waters and moves back and forth due to the influence of monsoon currents.
MARINE POLLUTION BULLETIN
(2024)