Marine snow as vectors for microplastic transport: Multiple aggregation cycles account for the settling of buoyant microplastics to deep‐sea sediments

IF 3.8 1区 地球科学 Q1 LIMNOLOGY
Nan Wu, Stuart W. D. Grieve, Andrew J. Manning, Kate L. Spencer
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引用次数: 0

Abstract

Many studies have reported the paradoxical observation of high concentrations of low‐density microplastics (plastic particles < 5 mm) in deep‐sea sediments despite their buoyancy. The incorporation of buoyant microplastics into marine snow has been observed to enhance microplastic settling. Previous studies on the vertical movement of buoyant microplastics have been unable to theoretically account for these ocean observations and no study has comprehensively elucidated microplastic transport pathways in the ocean from the surface to seafloor. Here, we establish a one‐dimensional theoretical model, that embraces key elements of the flocculation process, to explain how marine snow acts as a vector to transport buoyant microplastics to deep water and the ocean bottom. Microplastics reach the ocean floor through multiple cycles of aggregation, settling, and disaggregation between marine snow and microplastics. Each settling cycle results in a net settling of 200–400 m. We demonstrate that microplastics with different sizes show distinct vertical settling behaviors and only microplastics less than 100 μm in diameter can reach the ocean bottom. This theoretical model refines our ability to predict and understand the global and long‐term fate, transport, and inventory of microplastics in the ocean interior, the influence of microplastics on the biological carbon pump and the efficacy of plastic management policies.
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来源期刊
Limnology and Oceanography
Limnology and Oceanography 地学-海洋学
CiteScore
8.80
自引率
6.70%
发文量
254
审稿时长
3 months
期刊介绍: Limnology and Oceanography (L&O; print ISSN 0024-3590, online ISSN 1939-5590) publishes original articles, including scholarly reviews, about all aspects of limnology and oceanography. The journal''s unifying theme is the understanding of aquatic systems. Submissions are judged on the originality of their data, interpretations, and ideas, and on the degree to which they can be generalized beyond the particular aquatic system examined. Laboratory and modeling studies must demonstrate relevance to field environments; typically this means that they are bolstered by substantial "real-world" data. Few purely theoretical or purely empirical papers are accepted for review.
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