Plastic pollution in the South Pacific subtropical gyre

被引:448
作者
Eriksen, Marcus [1 ]
Maximenko, Nikolai [2 ]
Thiel, Martin [3 ]
Cummins, Anna [1 ]
Lattin, Gwen [4 ]
Wilson, Stiv [1 ]
Hafner, Jan [2 ]
Zellers, Ann [4 ]
Rifman, Samuel [4 ]
机构
[1] 5 Gyres Inst, Los Angeles, CA 90016 USA
[2] Univ Hawaii, Sch Ocean & Earth Sci & Technol, Int Pacific Res Ctr, Honolulu, HI 96822 USA
[3] Univ Catolica Norte, Fac Ciencias Mar, Coquimbo, Chile
[4] Algalita Marine Res Fdn, Long Beach, CA 90803 USA
关键词
Plastic marine pollution; South Pacific gyre; Ocean modeling; Microplastics; MARINE-ENVIRONMENT; COASTAL WATERS; SURFACE WATERS; DEBRIS; ATLANTIC; DISPERSAL; TRANSPORT; SEA; MICROPLASTICS; ACCUMULATION;
D O I
10.1016/j.marpolbul.2012.12.021
中图分类号
X [环境科学、安全科学];
学科分类号
08 ; 0830 ;
摘要
Plastic marine pollution in the open ocean of the southern hemisphere is largely undocumented. Here, we report the result of a (4489 km) 2424 nautical mile transect through the South Pacific subtropical gyre, carried out in March-April 2011. Neuston samples were collected at 48 sites, averaging 50 nautical miles apart, using a manta trawl lined with a 333 mu m mesh. The transect bisected a predicted accumulation zone associated with the convergence of surface currents, driven by local winds. The results show an increase in surface abundance of plastic pollution as we neared the center and decrease as we moved away, verifying the presence of a garbage patch. The average abundance and mass was 26,898 particles km(-2) and 70.96 g km(-2), respectively. 88.8% of the plastic pollution was found in the middle third of the samples with the highest value of 396,342 particles km(-2) occurring near the center of the predicted accumulation zone. (C) 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
引用
收藏
页码:71 / 76
页数:6
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