Abstract
The aim of this short paper is to report the presence of primary and secondary microplastics in Svalbard and surrounding waters. The sampling and monitoring were done during the AREX 2017 polar expedition and included the Spitsbergen (Longyearbyen, Pyramiden) and western fjords, in particular Isfjorden, Kongsfjorden. Moreover, the unique scientific trawls were carried out in Raudefjorden at the very north coast of Spitsbergen. Finally, the plastic tide effects were confirmed at the Prins Karl Forland Island.
Highlights
Marine microplastics (MMs), the polymer materials < 5 mm, are already ubiquitous in the global ocean (Jiang, 2018) including the remote and pristine areas of the Arctic (Hallanger & Gabrielsen, 2018) and Antarctic (Bargagli, 2008)
The important source of MMs in the Arctic is the water circulation between the polar regions and the Northeast Atlantic Ocean where the average abundance of plastics is estimated as 2.46 particles per m−3 (Lusher et al, 2014)
As only some of the MMs in the oceans were thrown there directly and the majority was brought by freshwaters, it is crucial to map the transport of plastics coming from lands
Summary
Marine microplastics (MMs), the polymer materials < 5 mm, are already ubiquitous in the global ocean (Jiang, 2018) including the remote and pristine areas of the Arctic (Hallanger & Gabrielsen, 2018) and Antarctic (Bargagli, 2008). According to the OSPAR (the Convention for the Protection of the Marine Environment of the northeast Atlantic) strategic goal, Ecological Quality Objective, less than 10% of monitored fulmars (Fulmarus glacialis) should not have more than 0.1 g of plastics in the stomach It is 22% for Svalbard, 28% for Iceland and 62% for the North Sea. The presence of any MMs in the stomach was confirmed in 87.5% of fulmars tested in Svalbard and 79.3% of those from Iceland. The important source of MMs in the Arctic is the water circulation between the polar regions and the Northeast Atlantic Ocean where the average abundance of plastics is estimated as 2.46 particles per m−3 (Lusher et al, 2014). One should bear in mind that proper signal processing is indispensable and the data treatment significantly influences the results (Renner et al, 2019)
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