Microplastics contaminate the deepest part of the world’s ocean

Andrady, A.L. (2011) Microplastics in the marine environment. Marine Pollution Bulletin 62, 1596-1605.
Show in context

All the synthetic polymers found in this study could be derived from textiles, ropes, fishing gear (nets, lines etc.), plastic beverage bottles, and packaging materials (Andrady, 2011; Claessens et al., 2011; Napper and Thompson, 2016), while rayon may also be used in personal hygiene products and cigarette filters (Woodall et al., 2014).
View in article
Except for polypropylene and polyethylene, all the polymer types recorded in this study are negatively buoyant (Andrady et al., 2011) and would eventually sink.
View in article

Arthur, C., Baker, J., Bamford, H. (Eds.) (2009) Proceedings of the International Research Workshop on the Occurrence, Effects and Fate of Microplastic Marine Debris. Sept. 9-11, 2008. NOAA Technical Memorandum NOS-OR&R-30.
Show in context

Besides the ocean surface (Thompson et al., 2004; Barnes et al., 2009; Van Sebille et al., 2015; Chae and An, 2017), potential sinks for plastics include deep sea biota (Oliveira et al., 2012), the water column (Courtene-Jones et al., 2017; Kanhai et al., 2018) and sediments (Bergmann et al., 2017), where broken plastics exist as microplastics (<5 mm in size) (Arthur et al., 2009; Hidalgo-Ruz et al., 2012).
View in article

Avio, C.G., Gorbi, S., Regoli, F. (2017) Plastics and microplastics in the oceans: From emerging pollutants to emerged threat. Marine Environmental Research 128, 2-11.
Show in context

It has been demonstrated that microplastics could be available to every level of the food web (Cedervall et al., 2012; Rillig, 2012; Mattsson et al., 2014; Avio et al., 2017).
View in article

Barnes, D.K., Galgani, F., Thompson, R.C., Barlaz, M. (2009) Accumulation and fragmentation of plastic debris in global environments. Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences 364, 1985-1998.
Show in context

Besides the ocean surface (Thompson et al., 2004; Barnes et al., 2009; Van Sebille et al., 2015; Chae and An, 2017), potential sinks for plastics include deep sea biota (Oliveira et al., 2012), the water column (Courtene-Jones et al., 2017; Kanhai et al., 2018) and sediments (Bergmann et al., 2017), where broken plastics exist as microplastics (<5 mm in size) (Arthur et al., 2009; Hidalgo-Ruz et al., 2012).
View in article

Bergmann, M., Wirzberger, V., Krumpen, T., Lorenz, C., Primpke, S., Tekman, M.B., Gerdts, G. (2017) High Quantities of Microplastic in Arctic Deep-Sea Sediments from the HAUSGARTEN Observatory. Environmental Science & Technology 51, 11000-11010.
Show in context

Besides the ocean surface (Thompson et al., 2004; Barnes et al., 2009; Van Sebille et al., 2015; Chae and An, 2017), potential sinks for plastics include deep sea biota (Oliveira et al., 2012), the water column (Courtene-Jones et al., 2017; Kanhai et al., 2018) and sediments (Bergmann et al., 2017), where broken plastics exist as microplastics (<5 mm in size) (Arthur et al., 2009; Hidalgo-Ruz et al., 2012).
View in article
At 10903 m, the microplastic abundance reaches 11.43 pieces per litre, which is four times higher than that reported in the subsurface water of open seas, including the NE Pacific Ocean (Desforges et al., 2014), South Pacific subtropical gyre (Eriksen et al., 2013), North Pacific Gyre (Goldstein, 2012), North Atlantic Ocean (Courtene-Jones et al., 2017), and the Arctic Ocean (Bergmann et al., 2017; Kanhai et al., 2018) (Table 1).
View in article
Table 1
View in article
We compared the microplastic abundances of our sediment samples with that in deep sea sediments reported from other studies (Van Cauwenberghe et al., 2013; Woodall et al., 2014; Bergmann et al., 2017) (Table 1).
View in article
However, it is comparable to Arctic deep sea sediments, where the highest abundance of microplastics recorded was 3463.71 pieces per litre, at a depth of 2783 m (Bergmann et al., 2017).
View in article
Polyester, followed by acrylic fibres dominate in sediments from the deep NE Atlantic, Mediterranean, and SW Indian Ocean (Woodall et al., 2014), while chlorinated polyethylene, polyamide and polypropylene account for 76 % in Arctic sediments (Bergmann et al., 2017).
View in article

Cedervall, T., Hansson, L.A., Lard, M., Frohm, B., Linse, S. (2012) Food chain transport of nanoparticles affects behaviour and fat metabolism in fish. Plos One 7, doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0032254.
Show in context

It has been demonstrated that microplastics could be available to every level of the food web (Cedervall et al., 2012; Rillig, 2012; Mattsson et al., 2014; Avio et al., 2017).
View in article

Chae, Y., An, Y.J. (2017) Effects of micro-and nanoplastics on aquatic ecosystems: Current research trends and perspectives. Marine Pollution Bulletin 124, 624-632.
Show in context

Besides the ocean surface (Thompson et al., 2004; Barnes et al., 2009; Van Sebille et al., 2015; Chae and An, 2017), potential sinks for plastics include deep sea biota (Oliveira et al., 2012), the water column (Courtene-Jones et al., 2017; Kanhai et al., 2018) and sediments (Bergmann et al., 2017), where broken plastics exist as microplastics (<5 mm in size) (Arthur et al., 2009; Hidalgo-Ruz et al., 2012).
View in article

Claessens, M., Meester, S.D., Landuyt, L.V., Clerck, K.D., Janssen, C.R. (2011) Occurrence and distribution of microplastics in marine sediments along the Belgian coast. Marine Pollution Bulletin 62, 2199-2204.
Show in context

All the synthetic polymers found in this study could be derived from textiles, ropes, fishing gear (nets, lines etc.), plastic beverage bottles, and packaging materials (Andrady, 2011; Claessens et al., 2011; Napper and Thompson, 2016), while rayon may also be used in personal hygiene products and cigarette filters (Woodall et al., 2014).
View in article

Courtene-Jones, W., Quinn, B., Gary, S.F., Mogg, A.O., Narayanaswamy, B.E. (2017) Microplastic pollution identified in deep-sea water and ingested by benthic invertebrates in the Rockall Trough, North Atlantic Ocean. Environmental Pollution 231, 271-280.
Show in context

Besides the ocean surface (Thompson et al., 2004; Barnes et al., 2009; Van Sebille et al., 2015; Chae and An, 2017), potential sinks for plastics include deep sea biota (Oliveira et al., 2012), the water column (Courtene-Jones et al., 2017; Kanhai et al., 2018) and sediments (Bergmann et al., 2017), where broken plastics exist as microplastics (<5 mm in size) (Arthur et al., 2009; Hidalgo-Ruz et al., 2012).
View in article
At 10903 m, the microplastic abundance reaches 11.43 pieces per litre, which is four times higher than that reported in the subsurface water of open seas, including the NE Pacific Ocean (Desforges et al., 2014), South Pacific subtropical gyre (Eriksen et al., 2013), North Pacific Gyre (Goldstein, 2012), North Atlantic Ocean (Courtene-Jones et al., 2017), and the Arctic Ocean (Bergmann et al., 2017; Kanhai et al., 2018) (Table 1).
View in article
Table 1
View in article

Cózar, A., Echevarría, F., González-Gordillo, J.I., Irigoien, X., Úbeda, B., Hernández-León, S., Palma, A.T., Navarro, S., García-de-Lomas, J., Ruiz, A., Fernández-de-Puelles, M.L., Duarte, C.M. (2014) Plastic debris in the open ocean. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 111, 10239-10244.
Show in context

Plastics are worldwide marine pollutants, accumulating in seawater and sediments (Hammer et al., 2012; Cózar et al., 2014; Ivar do Sul and Costa, 2014).
View in article

Dasgupta, S., Peng, X., Chen, S., Li, J., Du, M., Zhou, Y.-H., Zhong, G., Xu, H., Ta, K. (2018) Toxic anthropogenic pollutants reach the deepest ocean on Earth. Geochemical Perspectives Letters 7, 22-26.
Show in context

Although it was reported that toxic anthropogenic pollutants (e.g., persistent organic pollutants) have reached the deepest ocean on Earth (Jamieson et al., 2017; Dasgupta et al., 2018), little is known about the nature of anthropogenic microplastics in this deep and remote environment.
View in article

Desforges, J.P.W., Galbraith, M., Dangerfield, N., Ross, P.S. (2014) Widespread distribution of microplastics in subsurface seawater in the NE Pacific Ocean. Marine Pollution Bulletin 79, 94-99.
Show in context

At 10903 m, the microplastic abundance reaches 11.43 pieces per litre, which is four times higher than that reported in the subsurface water of open seas, including the NE Pacific Ocean (Desforges et al., 2014), South Pacific subtropical gyre (Eriksen et al., 2013), North Pacific Gyre (Goldstein, 2012), North Atlantic Ocean (Courtene-Jones et al., 2017), and the Arctic Ocean (Bergmann et al., 2017; Kanhai et al., 2018) (Table 1).
View in article
The high abundance of microplastics in hadal bottom water is also comparable to that reported in coastal waters, for example, in the Yangtze River and the Strait of Georgia, which are regarded as heavily polluted by microplastics (Desforges et al., 2014; Zhao et al., 2014).
View in article
Table 1
View in article

Eriksen, M., Maximenko, N., Thiel, M., Cummins, A., Lattin, G., Wilson, S., Rifman, S. (2013) Plastic pollution in the South Pacific subtropical gyre. Marine Pollution Bulletin 68, 71-76.
Show in context

At 10903 m, the microplastic abundance reaches 11.43 pieces per litre, which is four times higher than that reported in the subsurface water of open seas, including the NE Pacific Ocean (Desforges et al., 2014), South Pacific subtropical gyre (Eriksen et al., 2013), North Pacific Gyre (Goldstein, 2012), North Atlantic Ocean (Courtene-Jones et al., 2017), and the Arctic Ocean (Bergmann et al., 2017; Kanhai et al., 2018) (Table 1).
View in article
Table 1
View in article

Fujioka, K., Okino, K., Kanamatsu, T., Ohara, Y. (2002) Morphology and origin of the Challenger Deep in the Southern Mariana Trench. Geophysical Research Letters 29, doi: 10.1029/2001GL013595.
Show in context

To evaluate the abundance, distribution, and fate of microplastics in the hadal zone, we collected bottom water samples and sediment samples at depths of 2500-11000 m and 5500-11000 m, respectively, from the southern Mariana Trench, where the Challenger Deep, the deepest point on Earth, is situated (Fujioka et al., 2002) (Fig. 1).
View in article

Geyer, R., Jambeck, J.R., Law, K.L. (2017) Production, use, and fate of all plastics ever made. Science Advances 3, doi: 10.1126/sciadv.1700782.
Show in context

It was estimated that between 4.8 and 12.7 million metric tons of plastic waste entered the ocean in 2010 and this mass could increase by one order of magnitude by 2025 (Jambeck et al., 2015; Geyer et al., 2017).
View in article

Glud, R.N., Wenzhöfer, F., Middelboe, M., Oguri, K., Turnewitsch, R., Canfield, D.E., Kitazato, H. (2013) High rates of microbial carbon turnover in sediments in the deepest oceanic trench on Earth. Nature Geoscience 6, 284-288.
Show in context

A relatively rapid deposition of sediments has also been reported in the hadal zone of Mariana Trench (Glud et al., 2013), probably due to erratic downslope sediment transport triggered by occasional earthquakes and/or repeated resuspension and deposition of material (Itou et al., 2000), which could result in increased accumulation of microplastics in the hadal zone.
View in article

Goldstein, M.C. (2012) Abundance and ecological implications of microplastic debris in the North Pacific Subtropical Gyre. Doctoral dissertation, University of California, San Diego.
Show in context

At 10903 m, the microplastic abundance reaches 11.43 pieces per litre, which is four times higher than that reported in the subsurface water of open seas, including the NE Pacific Ocean (Desforges et al., 2014), South Pacific subtropical gyre (Eriksen et al., 2013), North Pacific Gyre (Goldstein, 2012), North Atlantic Ocean (Courtene-Jones et al., 2017), and the Arctic Ocean (Bergmann et al., 2017; Kanhai et al., 2018) (Table 1).
View in article

Hammer, J., Kraak, M.H.S., Parsons, J.R. (2012) Plastics in the marine environment: the dark side of a modern gift. In: Whitacre, D. (Ed.) Reviews of Environmental Contamination and Toxicology. Reviews of Environmental Contamination and Toxicology (Continuation of Residue Reviews), volume 220. Springer, New York, 1-44.
Show in context

Plastics are worldwide marine pollutants, accumulating in seawater and sediments (Hammer et al., 2012; Cózar et al., 2014; Ivar do Sul and Costa, 2014).
View in article

Hidalgo-Ruz, V., Gutow, L., Thompson, R.C., Thiel, M. (2012) Microplastics in the marine environment: a review of the methods used for identification and quantification. Environmental Science & Technology 46, 3060-3075.
Show in context

Besides the ocean surface (Thompson et al., 2004; Barnes et al., 2009; Van Sebille et al., 2015; Chae and An, 2017), potential sinks for plastics include deep sea biota (Oliveira et al., 2012), the water column (Courtene-Jones et al., 2017; Kanhai et al., 2018) and sediments (Bergmann et al., 2017), where broken plastics exist as microplastics (<5 mm in size) (Arthur et al., 2009; Hidalgo-Ruz et al., 2012).
View in article

Itou, M., Matsumura, I., Noriki, S. (2000) A large flux of particulate matter in the deep Japan Trench observed just after the 1994 Sanriku-Oki earthquake. Deep Sea Research Part I: Oceanographic Research Papers 47, 1987-1998.
Show in context

A relatively rapid deposition of sediments has also been reported in the hadal zone of Mariana Trench (Glud et al., 2013), probably due to erratic downslope sediment transport triggered by occasional earthquakes and/or repeated resuspension and deposition of material (Itou et al., 2000), which could result in increased accumulation of microplastics in the hadal zone.
View in article

Ivar do Sul, J.A., Costa, M.F. (2014) The present and future of microplastic pollution in the marine environment. Environmental Pollution 185, 352-364.
Show in context

Plastics are worldwide marine pollutants, accumulating in seawater and sediments (Hammer et al., 2012; Cózar et al., 2014; Ivar do Sul and Costa, 2014).
View in article

Jambeck, J.R., Geyer, R., Wilcox, C., Siegler, T.R., Perryman, M., Andrady, A., Narayan, R., Law, K.L. (2015) Plastic waste inputs from land into the ocean. Science 347, 768-771.
Show in context

It was estimated that between 4.8 and 12.7 million metric tons of plastic waste entered the ocean in 2010 and this mass could increase by one order of magnitude by 2025 (Jambeck et al., 2015; Geyer et al., 2017).
View in article

Jamieson, A.J., Fujii, T., Mayor, D.J., Solan, M., Priede, I.G. (2010) Hadal trenches: the ecology of the deepest places on Earth. Trends in Ecology & Evolution 25, 190-197.
Show in context

The hadal zone, which is the deepest region (6000-11000 m) of the oceans lying within trenches, represents 1-2 % of the global benthic area (Jamieson et al., 2010).
View in article

Jamieson, A.J., Malkocs, T., Piertney, S.B., Fujii, T., Zhang, Z. (2017) Bioaccumulation of persistent organic pollutants in the deepest ocean fauna. Nature Ecology & Evolution 1, doi: 10.1038/s41559-016-0051.
Show in context

Although it was reported that toxic anthropogenic pollutants (e.g., persistent organic pollutants) have reached the deepest ocean on Earth (Jamieson et al., 2017; Dasgupta et al., 2018), little is known about the nature of anthropogenic microplastics in this deep and remote environment.
View in article
The high abundance of microplastics in Mariana bottom water and sediments may be derived from industrialised regions in the Northwest Pacific (Jamieson et al., 2017) and the North Pacific Subtropical Gyre, so called “Great Pacific Garbage Patch” (Kaiser, 2010), where the Pacific surface circulation, i.e. the Eastern Subtropical Mode Water and Subtropical Mode Water, may lead to long distance transport of microplastics to Mariana trench, respectively (Tseng et al., 2016).
View in article

Kaiser, J. (2010) The dirt on ocean garbage patches. Science 328, 1506.
Show in context

The high abundance of microplastics in Mariana bottom water and sediments may be derived from industrialised regions in the Northwest Pacific (Jamieson et al., 2017) and the North Pacific Subtropical Gyre, so called “Great Pacific Garbage Patch” (Kaiser, 2010), where the Pacific surface circulation, i.e. the Eastern Subtropical Mode Water and Subtropical Mode Water, may lead to long distance transport of microplastics to Mariana trench, respectively (Tseng et al., 2016).
View in article

Kanhai, L.D.K., Gårdfeldt, K., Lyashevska, O., Hassellöv, M., Thompson, R.C., O'Connor, I. (2018) Microplastics in sub-surface waters of the Arctic Central Basin. Marine Pollution Bulletin 130, 8-18.
Show in context

Besides the ocean surface (Thompson et al., 2004; Barnes et al., 2009; Van Sebille et al., 2015; Chae and An, 2017), potential sinks for plastics include deep sea biota (Oliveira et al., 2012), the water column (Courtene-Jones et al., 2017; Kanhai et al., 2018) and sediments (Bergmann et al., 2017), where broken plastics exist as microplastics (<5 mm in size) (Arthur et al., 2009; Hidalgo-Ruz et al., 2012).
View in article
At 10903 m, the microplastic abundance reaches 11.43 pieces per litre, which is four times higher than that reported in the subsurface water of open seas, including the NE Pacific Ocean (Desforges et al., 2014), South Pacific subtropical gyre (Eriksen et al., 2013), North Pacific Gyre (Goldstein, 2012), North Atlantic Ocean (Courtene-Jones et al., 2017), and the Arctic Ocean (Bergmann et al., 2017; Kanhai et al., 2018) (Table 1).
View in article
Table 1
View in article

Katija, K., Choy, C.A., Sherlock, R.E., Sherman, A.D., Robison, B.H. (2017) From the surface to the seafloor: How giant larvaceans transport microplastics into the deep sea. Science Advance 3, doi: 10.1126/sciadv.1700715.
Show in context

Colonisation by organisms, adherence to phytoplankton, and aggregation with organic debris and small organic particles will eventually enhance settling (Zarfl and Matthies, 2010; Katija et al., 2017).
View in article

Kershaw, P.J., Rochman, C.M. (2015) Sources, fate and effects of microplastics in the marine environment: part 2 of a global assessment. Reports and studies-IMO/FAO/Unesco-IOC/WMO/IAEA/UN/UNEP Joint Group of Experts on the Scientific Aspects of Marine Environmental Protection (GESAMP) eng no. 93.
Show in context

Ingestion of microplastics may result in adverse health effects, such as internal blockage and endocrine dysfunction (Wright et al., 2013, Kershaw et al., 2015).
View in article

Mattsson, K., Ekvall, M.T., Hansson, L.A., Linse, S., Malmendal, A., Cedervall, T. (2014) Altered behavior, physiology, and metabolism in fish exposed to polystyrene nanoparticles. Environmental Science & Technology 49, 553-561.
Show in context

It has been demonstrated that microplastics could be available to every level of the food web (Cedervall et al., 2012; Rillig, 2012; Mattsson et al., 2014; Avio et al., 2017).
View in article

Napper, I.E., Thompson, R.C. (2016) Release of synthetic microplastic plastic fibres from domestic washing machines: effects of fabric type and washing conditions. Marine Pollution Bulletin 112, 39-45.
Show in context

All the synthetic polymers found in this study could be derived from textiles, ropes, fishing gear (nets, lines etc.), plastic beverage bottles, and packaging materials (Andrady, 2011; Claessens et al., 2011; Napper and Thompson, 2016), while rayon may also be used in personal hygiene products and cigarette filters (Woodall et al., 2014).
View in article

Nunoura, T., Takaki, Y., Hirai, M., Shimamura, S., Makabe, A., Koide, O., Sunamura, M. (2015) Hadal biosphere: insight into the microbial ecosystem in the deepest ocean on Earth. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 112, 1230-1236.
Show in context

In addition, the narrow V-shaped topography of the trench may also enhance the downslope flux of microplastics into the hadal zone (Nunoura et al., 2015).
View in article

Oliveira, M., Ribeiro, A., Guilhermino, L. (2012) Effects of exposure to microplastics and PAHs on microalgae Rhodomonas baltica and Tetraselmis chuii. Comparative Biochemistry and Physiology Part A, S19-S20.
Show in context

Besides the ocean surface (Thompson et al., 2004; Barnes et al., 2009; Van Sebille et al., 2015; Chae and An, 2017), potential sinks for plastics include deep sea biota (Oliveira et al., 2012), the water column (Courtene-Jones et al., 2017; Kanhai et al., 2018) and sediments (Bergmann et al., 2017), where broken plastics exist as microplastics (<5 mm in size) (Arthur et al., 2009; Hidalgo-Ruz et al., 2012).
View in article

Oguri, K., Kawamura, K., Sakaguchi, A., Toyofuku, T., Kasaya, T., Murayama, M., Fujikura1, K., Glud, N.R., Kitazato, H. (2013) Hadal disturbance in the Japan Trench induced by the 2011 Tohoku–Oki Earthquake. Scientific Reports 3, doi: 10.1038/srep01915.
Show in context

It was reported that the vertical transportation rate of surface-derived material can be up to 64-78 m per day in the Japan Trench (Oguri, 2013).
View in article

Rillig, M.C. (2012) Microplastic in terrestrial ecosystems and the soil? Environmental Science & Technology 46, 6453-6454.
Show in context

It has been demonstrated that microplastics could be available to every level of the food web (Cedervall et al., 2012; Rillig, 2012; Mattsson et al., 2014; Avio et al., 2017).
View in article

Rios, L.M., Moore, C., Jones, P.R. (2007) Persistent organic pollutants carried by synthetic polymers in the ocean environment. Marine Pollution Bulletin 54, 1230-1237.
Show in context

For example, polypropylene and polyethylene are most abundant in the water column of the North Pacific Ocean (Rios et al., 2007).
View in article

Taira, K., Kitagawa, S., Yamashiro, T., Yanagimoto, D. (2004) Deep and bottom currents in the Challenger Deep, Mariana Trench, measured with super-deep current meters. Journal of Oceanography 60, 919-926.
Show in context

Bottom currents, together with propagating internal tides, may further enhance the downwelling of particles and foster the accumulation of microplastics in the Mariana Trench (Taira et al., 2004; Turnewitsch et al., 2014).
View in article

Taylor, M. (2017) “Plastics found in stomachs of deepest sea creatures”. The Guardian, 15 November, https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2017/nov/15/plastics-found-in-stomachs-of-deepest-sea-creatures.
Show in context

Recently, microplastics were reported to be found in crustaceans from the deep trenches (A.J. Jamieson in The Guardian newspaper report by Taylor, 2017).
View in article

Thompson, R.C., Olsen, Y., Mitchell, R.P., Davis, A., Rowland, S.J., John, A.W., Russell, A.E. (2004) Lost at sea: where is all the plastic? Science 304, 838-838.
Show in context

Besides the ocean surface (Thompson et al., 2004; Barnes et al., 2009; Van Sebille et al., 2015; Chae and An, 2017), potential sinks for plastics include deep sea biota (Oliveira et al., 2012), the water column (Courtene-Jones et al., 2017; Kanhai et al., 2018) and sediments (Bergmann et al., 2017), where broken plastics exist as microplastics (<5 mm in size) (Arthur et al., 2009; Hidalgo-Ruz et al., 2012).
View in article

Tseng, Y.H., Lin, H., Chen, H.C., Thompson, K., Bentsen, M., Böning, C.W., et al. (2016) North and equatorial Pacific Ocean circulation in the core-ii hindcast simulations. Ocean Modelling 104, 143-170.
Show in context

The high abundance of microplastics in Mariana bottom water and sediments may be derived from industrialised regions in the Northwest Pacific (Jamieson et al., 2017) and the North Pacific Subtropical Gyre, so called “Great Pacific Garbage Patch” (Kaiser, 2010), where the Pacific surface circulation, i.e. the Eastern Subtropical Mode Water and Subtropical Mode Water, may lead to long distance transport of microplastics to Mariana trench, respectively (Tseng et al., 2016).
View in article

Turnewitsch, R., Falahat, S., Stehlikova, J., Oguri, K., Glud, R.N., Middelboe, M., Kitazato, H., Wenzhöfer, F., Ando, K., Fujio, S., Yanagimoto, D. (2014) Recent sediment dynamics in hadal trenches: evidence for the influence of higher frequency (tidal, near-inertial) fluid dynamics. Deep Sea Research Part I: Oceanographic Research Papers 90, 125-138.
Show in context

Bottom currents, together with propagating internal tides, may further enhance the downwelling of particles and foster the accumulation of microplastics in the Mariana Trench (Taira et al., 2004; Turnewitsch et al., 2014).
View in article

Van Cauwenberghe, L., Vanreusel, A., Mees, J., Janssen, C.R. (2013) Microplastic pollution in deep-sea sediments. Environment Pollution 182, 495-499.
Show in context

Table 1
View in article
We compared the microplastic abundances of our sediment samples with that in deep sea sediments reported from other studies (Van Cauwenberghe et al., 2013; Woodall et al., 2014; Bergmann et al., 2017) (Table 1).
View in article
The maximum abundance of microplastics detected in the Mariana sediments is twice as high as that reported in deep sea sediments from the Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea (70-800 pieces per litre, Woodall et al., 2014), and twenty times more than that in deep sea sediments from the SW Indian Ocean and the Southern Atlantic (Van Cauwenberghe et al., 2013; Woodall et al., 2014).
View in article

Van Sebille, E., Wilcox, C., Lebreton, L., Maximenko, N., Hardesty, B.D., Van Franeker, J.A., Eriksen, M., Siegel, D., Galgani, F., Law, K.L. (2015) A global inventory of small floating plastic debris. Environmental Research Letters 10, doi: 10.1088/1748-9326/10/12/124006.
Show in context

Besides the ocean surface (Thompson et al., 2004; Barnes et al., 2009; Van Sebille et al., 2015; Chae and An, 2017), potential sinks for plastics include deep sea biota (Oliveira et al., 2012), the water column (Courtene-Jones et al., 2017; Kanhai et al., 2018) and sediments (Bergmann et al., 2017), where broken plastics exist as microplastics (<5 mm in size) (Arthur et al., 2009; Hidalgo-Ruz et al., 2012).
View in article

Woodall, L.C., Sanchez-Vidal, A., Canals, M., Paterson, G.L., Coppock, R., Sleight, V., Calafat, A., Rogers, D.A., Narayanaswamy, E.B., Thompson, R.C. (2014) The deep sea is a major sink for microplastic debris. Royal Society Open Science 1, doi: 10.1098/rsos.140317.
Show in context

Table 1
View in article
We compared the microplastic abundances of our sediment samples with that in deep sea sediments reported from other studies (Van Cauwenberghe et al., 2013; Woodall et al., 2014; Bergmann et al., 2017) (Table 1).
View in article
The maximum abundance of microplastics detected in the Mariana sediments is twice as high as that reported in deep sea sediments from the Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea (70-800 pieces per litre, Woodall et al., 2014), and twenty times more than that in deep sea sediments from the SW Indian Ocean and the Southern Atlantic (Van Cauwenberghe et al., 2013; Woodall et al., 2014).
View in article
Polyester, followed by acrylic fibres dominate in sediments from the deep NE Atlantic, Mediterranean, and SW Indian Ocean (Woodall et al., 2014), while chlorinated polyethylene, polyamide and polypropylene account for 76 % in Arctic sediments (Bergmann et al., 2017).
View in article
All the synthetic polymers found in this study could be derived from textiles, ropes, fishing gear (nets, lines etc.), plastic beverage bottles, and packaging materials (Andrady, 2011; Claessens et al., 2011; Napper and Thompson, 2016), while rayon may also be used in personal hygiene products and cigarette filters (Woodall et al., 2014).
View in article

Wright, S.L., Thompson, R.C., Galloway, T.S. (2013) The physical impacts of microplastics on marine organisms: a review. Environment Pollution 178, 483-492.
Show in context

Ingestion of microplastics may result in adverse health effects, such as internal blockage and endocrine dysfunction (Wright et al., 2013, Kershaw et al., 2015).
View in article

Zarfl, C., Matthies, M. (2010) Are marine plastic particles transport vectors for organic pollutants to the Arctic? Marine Pollution Bulletin 60, 1810-1814.
Show in context

Colonisation by organisms, adherence to phytoplankton, and aggregation with organic debris and small organic particles will eventually enhance settling (Zarfl and Matthies, 2010; Katija et al., 2017).
View in article

Zhao, S., Zhu, L., Wang, T., Li, D. (2014) Suspended microplastics in the surface water of the Yangtze Estuary System, China: first observations on occurrence, distribution. Marine Pollution Bulletin 86, 562-568.
Show in context

The high abundance of microplastics in hadal bottom water is also comparable to that reported in coastal waters, for example, in the Yangtze River and the Strait of Georgia, which are regarded as heavily polluted by microplastics (Desforges et al., 2014; Zhao et al., 2014).
View in article