Sammendrag
The reported microplastics (MPs) levels recorded in the surface waters of our rivers, estuaries, and oceans span several orders of magnitude. However, the inter-comparison of these values is constrained by the a lack of standardization harmonization on of the methods for sampling, extracting, and identifying these this pollutants. Typically, nets are used for sampling ffloating MPs, limiting their quantification to the mesh size, predominantly 333 µm. Consequently, the presence of smaller MPs has mainly been overlooked, leading to underestimating their presence in aquatic environments. Models and scarce in-situ observations suggest that MPs concentrations and particle size decrease along the first meters of the water column. In this study, we investigate the MP vertical distribution using a novel filtration device to sample MPs (>10 µm) in the surface and subsurface waters (5 m depth) simultaneously. Sampling stations were selected following a gradient from areas in the Bergen fjord (Norway) subject to high anthropogenic pressure, areas to highly remote ones in the Bergen fjord (Norway). MPs were extracted following a multi-step treatment, analyzed using state-of-the-art µFT-IR spectroscopy, and systematically identified using the software siMPle. The preliminary results…. Our findings contribute to understanding the dispersion of small MPs in the upper water column, providing crucial insights into the role of size- and polymer-dependent mechanisms influencing their vertical transport.
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