Green_et_al_2018.docx (1.16 MB)
A comparison of sampling methods for seawater microplastics and a first report of the microplastic litter in coastal waters of Ascension and Falkland Islands
journal contribution
posted on 2023-08-30, 15:49 authored by Dannielle S. Green, Louise Kregting, Bas Boots, David Blockley, Paul Brickle, Marushka Da Costa, Quentin CrowleyTo date there is no gold standard for sampling microplastics. Zooplankton sampling methods, such as plankton and Neuston nets, are commonly used to estimate the concentrations of microplastics in seawater, but their ability to detect microplastics is limited by their mesh size. We compared different net-based sampling methods with different mesh sizes including bongo nets (>500µm), manta nets (>300µm) and plankton nets (>200µm and >400µm) to 1 litre bottle grabbed, filtered (0.45µm) samples. Concentrations of microplastics estimated using net-based methods were ~3 orders of magnitude less than those estimated by 1 litre grab samples. Some parts of the world with low human populations, such as Ascension Island and the Falkland Islands, lack baseline data on microplastics. Using the bottle grab sampling method we found that microplastic litter was present at these remote locations and was comparable to levels of contamination in more populated coastal regions, such as the United Kingdom.
History
Refereed
- Yes
Volume
137Page range
695-701Publication title
Marine Pollution BulletinISSN
1879-3363External DOI
Publisher
ElsevierFile version
- Accepted version
Language
- eng
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Legacy posted date
2018-11-14Legacy creation date
2018-11-13Legacy Faculty/School/Department
Faculty of Science & EngineeringUsage metrics
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