Persistent organic pollutants carried by synthetic polymers in the ocean environment

• Published in: Marine pollution bulletin Vol. 54; no. 8; pp. 1230 - 1237
• Main Authors: Rios, Lorena M., Moore, Charles, Jones, Patrick R.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Oxford Elsevier Ltd 01.08.2007; Elsevier
• Subjects: Applied sciences; Bathing Beaches; DDTs in plastics; Earth sciences; Earth, ocean, space; Engineering and environment geology. Geothermics; Environment; Environmental Monitoring; Exact sciences and technology; Hydrocarbons - analysis; Industry; Marine; Natural water pollution; Pacific Ocean; PAHs in plastics; PCBs in plastics; Persistent organic pollutants; Plastic contaminants; Plastic debris; Plastic pellets; Plastics - chemistry; Pollution; Pollution, environment geology; Seawaters, estuaries; Water Pollutants - analysis; Water treatment and pollution; Central America; United States; Polynesia; America; Hawaii; Mexico; Pacific Ocean; California; North America; Oceania; North Pacific; INE, USA, California; ISE, Mexico; USA, California; ISE, USA, Hawaii; Mexico, Baja California, Guadalupe I; North Pacific, North Pacific Gyre; ISE, Mexico, Baja California, Guadalupe I; USA, Hawaii; IN, North Pacific, North Pacific Gyre; DDTs in plastics; PAHs in plastics; PCBs in plastics; Plastic debris; Plastic pellets; Plastic contaminants; Persistent organic pollutants; Chemical analysis; Persistent organic pollutant; Organochlorine compounds; Chlorocarbon; Aromatic compound; Plastics industry; Debris; Organic compounds; Seawater; Thermoplastics; Hydrocarbon; Pesticides; Polycyclic aromatic compound; Polychlorobiphenyl; Organic chlorine compounds; Pollution source; Solid waste; Water pollution; Plastic waste
• ISSN: 0025-326X; 1879-3363
• DOI: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2007.03.022

Thermoplastic resin pellets are melted and formed into an enormous number of inexpensive consumer goods, many of which are discarded after a relatively short period of use, dropped haphazardly onto watersheds and then make their way to the ocean where some get ingested by marine life. In 2003 and 2004 pre-production thermoplastic resin pellets and post-consumer plastic fragments were collected and analyzed for contamination for persistent organic pollutants (POPs). Samples were taken from the North Pacific Gyre, and selected sites in California, Hawaii, and from Guadalupe Island, Mexico. The total concentration of PCBs ranged from 27 to 980 ng/g; DDTs from 22 to 7100 ng/g and PAHs from 39 to 1200 ng/g, and aliphatic hydrocarbons from 1.1 to 8600 μg/g. Analytical methods were developed to extract, concentrate and identify POPs that may have accumulated on plastic fragments and plastic pellets. The results of this study confirm that plastic debris is a trap for POPs.