Three-dimensional distribution of plastic pellets in sandy beaches: shifting paradigms

Plastic pellets are worldwide contaminants that accumulate in the ocean, especially in sandy beaches, where their historic standing-stock quantification relies on surface sediment samples. We demonstrated these particles present a three-dimensional instead of a simple along-across shore distribution...

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Published inScientific reports Vol. 4; no. 1; p. 4435
Main Authors Turra, Alexander, Manzano, Aruanã B., Dias, Rodolfo Jasão S., Mahiques, Michel M., Barbosa, Lucas, Balthazar-Silva, Danilo, Moreira, Fabiana T.
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published London Nature Publishing Group UK 27.03.2014
Nature Publishing Group
Subjects
704/158
704/172
704/172/169/895
704/2151/330
Humanities and Social Sciences
multidisciplinary
Science
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Summary:Plastic pellets are worldwide contaminants that accumulate in the ocean, especially in sandy beaches, where their historic standing-stock quantification relies on surface sediment samples. We demonstrated these particles present a three-dimensional instead of a simple along-across shore distribution, being found as deep as 2.0 m, with surface layers accounting for <10% of the total abundance in the sediment column. This gradient seemed to be more related to oceanographic rather than anthropic processes, suggesting a general pattern whose applicability to microplastics and sedimentary environments as a whole should be investigated. This poses criticism in the exactness of standing-stock records and demands urgent discussion of sampling protocols.
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ISSN:2045-2322
2045-2322
DOI:10.1038/srep04435