plastic
; polyethylene
; polystyrene derivative
; sea water
; waste
; water pollutant
; Alabama
; analysis
; bay
; chemistry
; environmental monitoring
; estuary
; Gulf of Mexico
; procedures
; season
; sediment
; statistics and numerical data
; waste
; water pollutant
; Alabama
; Bays
; Environmental Monitoring
; Estuaries
; Geologic Sediments
; Gulf of Mexico
; Plastics
; Polyethylene
; Polystyrenes
; Seasons
; Seawater
; Waste Products
; Water Pollutants, Chemical
Scopus学科分类:
Agricultural and Biological Sciences: Aquatic Science
; Earth and Planetary Sciences: Oceanography
; Environmental Science: Pollution
英文摘要:
Microplastics (plastic debris smaller than 5 mm) represent a growing concern worldwide due to increasing amounts of discarded trash. We investigated microplastic debris on sandy shorelines at seven locations in a northern Gulf of Mexico estuary (Mobile Bay, AL) during the summer of 2014. Microplastics were ubiquitous throughout the area studied at concentrations 66-253 � larger than reported for the open ocean. The polymers polypropylene and polyethylene were most abundant, with polystyrene, polyester and aliphatic polyamide also present but in lower quantities. There was a gradient in microplastic abundance, with locations more directly exposed to marine currents and tides having higher microplastic abundance and diversity, as well as a higher contribution by denser polymers (e.g. polyester). These results indicate that microplastic accumulation on shorelines in the northern Gulf of Mexico may be a serious concern, and suggest that exposure to inputs from the Gulf is an important determinant of microplastic abundance. � 2016 Elsevier Ltd
Dauphin Island Sea Lab, 101 Bienville Blvd., Dauphin Island, AL, United States; University of South Alabama, Marine Science Department, 307 North University Blvd., Mobile, AL, United States; University of South Alabama, Chemistry Department CHEM0131, 6040 USA Dr., Mobile, AL, United States
Recommended Citation:
Wessel C.C.,Lockridge G.R.,Battiste D.,et al. Abundance and characteristics of microplastics in beach sediments: Insights into microplastic accumulation in northern Gulf of Mexico estuaries[J]. Marine Pollution Bulletin,2016-01-01,109(1)