First detection of microplastics in the freshwater of an Antarctic Specially Protected Area
Entity
UAM. Departamento de BiologíaPublisher
ElsevierDate
2020-11-03Citation
10.1016/j.marpolbul.2020.111811
Marine Pollution Bulletin 161 Part B (2020): 111811
ISSN
0025-326X (print)DOI
10.1016/j.marpolbul.2020.111811Funded by
This research was funded by the Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness (CTM2016-74927-C2-1/2-R, CTM2016-79741R, AGL2014- 53771-R and AGL2017-87591-R); CLIMARCTIC (PCIN2016-001) funded by the Spanish State Research Agency in the frame of the 2015–2016 BiodivERsA COFUND call for research proposals. We thank all members of the EnviroPlaNet Network Thematic Network of Microand Nanoplastics in the Environment (RED2018-102345-T; Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities)Project
Gobierno de España. CTM2016-74927-C2-1-R; Gobierno de España. CTM2016-74927-C2-2-R; Gobierno de España. AGL2014-53771-R; Gobierno de España. AGL2017-87591-R; Gobierno de España. RED2018-102345-TEditor's Version
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.marpolbul.2020.111811Subjects
Antarctic specially protected area; Antarctica; Byers Peninsula; Freshwater; Microplastics; Biología y Biomedicina / BiologíaRights
© 2020 Elsevier Ltd.Esta obra está bajo una licencia de Creative Commons Reconocimiento-NoComercial-SinObraDerivada 4.0 Internacional.
Abstract
Microplastics have been found in all environmental compartments investigated so far, even reaching remote areas. However, their presence in Antarctic freshwaters has not been yet reported. Here, we investigated the occurrence of microplastics in a stream from an Antarctic Specially Protected Area (Byers Peninsula, Livingston Island - ASPA No. 126), which is subject to stringent environmental protection measures as a result of which it is considered a pristine international reference site for inland waters research. Our results showed the presence of three types of microplastics in a freshwater seasonal stream, namely four polyester fibers, one black and three transparent; two acrylic fibers, one transparent and one red; and two transparent polytetrafluoroethylene films. The length and width of these fibers and films were in the 400–3546 μm (average 1118 μm), and 10–1026 μm (average 199 μm) ranges respectively. The concentration of MP was 0.95 items/1000 m3 with estimated variability in the 0.47–1.43 items/1000 m3 range. This is the first report of the presence of microplastics in Antarctic freshwater with the uniqueness that it is an Antarctic Specially Protected Area, meaning that plastic pollution reached even the most remote and pristine environments in the planet
Files in this item
Google Scholar:González Pleiter, Miguel
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Edo, Carlos
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Velázquez, David
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Casero Chamorro, María Cristina
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Leganés Nieto, Francisco
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Quesada del Corral, Antonio
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Fernández Piñas, Francisca
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Rosal, Roberto
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