Application of an enzyme digestion method reveals microlitter in Mytilus trossulus at a wastewater discharge area,

Marine Pollution Bulletin, Volume 130, May 2018, Pages 206-214, ISSN 0025-326X,

Abstract:

The ingestion of microlitter by blue mussels (450) was studied at a
wastewater recipient area in the Baltic Sea. The mussel soft tissues
were digested using enzymatic detergents and the detected litter
particles characterized with FT-IR imaging spectroscopy. Microlitter
concentration in seawater and WWTP effluent were also measured.
Microlitter was found in 66% of the mussels. Mussels from the WWTP
recipient had higher microlitter content compared to those collected at
the reference site. Plastics made up 8% of all the analysed microlitter
particles. The dominating litter types were fibres (~90% of all
microlitter), 42% of which were cotton, 17% linen, 17% viscose and 4%
polyester. The risk of airborne contamination during laboratory work was
lowered when mussels were digested with their shells on instead of
dissecting them first. The approach was found applicable and gentle to
both non-synthetic and synthetic materials including fragile fibres.

https://drive.google.com/open?id=1LawtDfKfLJWfxZOMZ5BcVI9cx3LVsUuD
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.marpolbul.2018.03.022.(https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0025326X1830167X)

The post Application of an enzyme digestion method reveals microlitter in Mytilus trossulus at a wastewater discharge area appeared first on One Earth - One Ocean e. V..

Marine litter at the seafloor – Abundance and composition in the North Sea and the Baltic Sea,
Marine Pollution Bulletin, Volume 127,2018, Pages 774-780, ISSN 0025-326X,

Abstract:

Litter is present in all marine waters around the globe. It
consists of several compound classes of which plastic is of special
interest because of its high abundance and possible threat to marine
organisms. The regional distribution, composition and abundance of large
litter items (LI) at the sea floor of the North Sea and the Baltic Sea
were investigated based on 175 bottom trawls between 2013 and 2015.
Different types of marine litter >2.5cm were classified according to the
protocol of the ICES International Bottom Trawl Survey. The results
showed considerable geographical variation: In the North Sea, a mean
litter abundance of 16.8LI/km2 was found, whereas the litter abundance
in the Baltic Sea was significantly lower (5.07LI/km2). In general,
plastic represented 80% of the litter items. During the study, some
methodical aspects with possible impact on the results were identified
that need to be addressed in future sampling campaigns.

https://drive.google.com/open?id=16htyLi2ZIa6q9l1GkpjPxMWCjuNFQOKq

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.marpolbul.2017.09.051.(http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0025326X17307865)

The post Marine litter at the seafloor – Abundance and composition in the North Sea and the Baltic Sea appeared first on One Earth - One Ocean e. V..

Marine litter at the seafloor – Abundance and composition in the North Sea and the Baltic Sea

Marine Pollution Bulletin,
Volume 127, 2018, Pages 774-780, ISSN 0025-326X,

Abstract:

Litter is present in all marine waters around the globe. It consists of several compound classes of which plastic is of special
interest because of its high abundance and possible threat to marine organisms.

The regional distribution, composition and abundance of large litter items (LI) at the sea floor of the North Sea and the Baltic Sea
were investigated based on 175 bottom trawls between 2013 and 2015.
Different types of marine litter >2.5cm were classified according to the protocol of the ICES International Bottom Trawl Survey. The results
showed considerable geographical variation:

In the North Sea, a mean litter abundance of 16.8LI/km2 was found, whereas the litter abundance in the Baltic Sea was significantly lower (5.07LI/km2). In general, plastic represented 80% of the litter items. During the study, some methodical aspects with possible impact on the results were identified that need to be addressed in future sampling campaigns.

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.marpolbul.2017.09.051.(http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0025326X17307865)

The post Marine litter at the seafloor – Abundance and composition in the North Sea and the Baltic Sea appeared first on One Earth - One Ocean e. V..