Abstract
Microplastic litter is a pervasive pollutant present in marine systems across the globe. The legacy of microplastics pollution in the marine environment today may remain for years to come due to the persistence of these materials. Microplastics are emerging contaminants of potential concern and as yet there are few recognised approaches for monitoring. In 2008, the EU Marine Strategy Framework Directive (MSFD, 2008/56/EC) included microplastics as an aspect to be measured. Here we outline the approach as discussed by the European Union expert group on marine litter, the technical Subgroup on Marine litter (TSG-ML), with a focus on the implementation of monitoring microplastics in seawater in European seas. It is concluded that harmonization and coherence is needed to achieve reliable monitoring.
Highlights
The ubiquity of plastics in the marine environment and in biota from across the globe has highlighted the prevalence of this contaminant within our oceans
Microplastics are widely dispersed in the marine environment and are present in the water column, on beaches and on the seabed (Barnes et al, 2009; Law et al, 2010; Browne et al, 2011)
The revised decision kept criteria separated for macro litter (10DC1) and microplastics (D10C3), defined as “The composition, amount, and spatial distribution of micro-litter in the surface layer of the water column, in sea-floor sediment, and possibly on coastlines, is at a level that does not cause harm to the coastal and marine environment.”
Summary
The ubiquity of plastics in the marine environment and in biota from across the globe has highlighted the prevalence of this contaminant within our oceans. The revised decision (article 9/3 and 11/4) kept (the review has been done but not published yet) criteria separated for macro litter (10DC1) and microplastics (D10C3), defined as “The composition, amount, and spatial distribution of micro-litter in the surface layer of the water column, in sea-floor sediment, and possibly on coastlines, is at a level that does not cause harm to the coastal and marine environment.”
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