Following publication has been announced by our department Inorganic Environmental Chemistry. For further information please contact Dr. Lars Hildebrandt, co-author of the publication:
Hansen, J., Hildebrandt, L., Zimmermann, T., El Gareb, F., Fischer, E.K., & Pröfrock, D. (2023): Quantification and characterization of microplastics in surface water samples from the Northeast Atlantic Ocean using laser direct infrared imaging. Marine Pollution Bulletin, Volume 190, 114880, doi:10.1016/j.marpolbul.2023.114880
Abstract:
15 filtration samples were collected at eight locations onboard the RV Sonne (cruise SO279 in 2020) from 6 m water depth using a fractionated stainless-steel filtration unit. The size fraction > 300 μm was visually examined and potential microplastic particles were analyzed by ATR-FTIR spectroscopy. The treatment of size class 20 μm < d < 300 μm was based on enzymatic-oxidative microwave-assisted “one-pot” matrix digestion in conjunction with analysis of the microplastics by time-efficient LDIR imaging.
Total number concentrations ranged from 47 to 2154 microplastic particles per m3 (average for all stations: 500 ± 700 microplastic particles m−3 (1 SD; n = 8)). In total, 20 polymer types were identified. The most common polymer types were polyethylene terephthalate (20 %) and acrylates/polyurethane/varnish (15 %). 93 % of the detected microplastics were smaller than 100 μm in length. Analysis of sample replicates indicates high spatio-temporal variations in microplastic pollution within the investigated region.