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MARINFORSK-Marine ressurser og miljø

Fluxes and Fate of Microplastics in Northern European Waters

Alternative title: Fluxes and Fate of Microplastics in Northern European Water

Awarded: NOK 0.85 mill.

The overall goal of JPI FACTS project is to clarify how MP move vertically in the water column with time under well-known hydrodynamic conditions. FACTS is structured around a set of sampling campaigns from the German Bight to Svalbard as well as coastal areas such as the Byfjorden fjord in Bergen. Plastic particle concentrations obtained from the proposed sampling campaigns will be implemented into oceanographic models. The modelling approach is used to integrate release and transport processes, and the likelihood and timescale for particle pathways is estimated based on observed rates of fragmentation and sinking. In 2021 a cruise was conducted in the framework of the JPI O project FACTS aiming at the large-scale transport, South to North. During the cruise 23 stations were sampled from the coast of Bergen to the arctic island Bjornoya. On transects between designed stations on the way air and water sampling were successfully performed by using high and low volume air samplers and the newly developed automated filtration system. All stations were started with a CTD cast to get an overview on the oceanographic conditions and the different water bodies present. Based on this information, sampling depths were defined for CTD, in situ pump and Marine Snow catcher samples which were taken subsequently. All samples were stored cooled or frozen on board the Heincke and will finally analysed in the laboratories of the cooperating partners by using FTIR Imaging/FTIR microscopy or Pyr-GCMS. Submicron microplastics (nanoplastics) will be analysed by Raman microscopy or nano-FTIR. Marine Snow catcher samples will be subjected to in deep microbiological and microscopical analyses. On a more small-scale study three current meters were deployed for two months in 2021 in the Byfjorden to allow modellers to obtain an updated status of the current’s distribution. Obtained data were used to optimize the low range particles distribution model. Furthermore, a sampling campaign targeting the collection of seawater and marine sediments on few selected sites in the same area was performed to both test the prediction efficiency of the model as well as to test some of the sampling devices specially designed for the project. In spring 2022 a plastic particles distribution model was run to train the sampling plan involving eleven sites in the Byfjorden. Seven sampling sites addressed the bergen urban area while three additional ones target some reference sites outside the Bergen’s urban area. A joint sampling campaign was performed early in the summer. Several type of ad hoc advanced sampling technologies were employed to investigate the contemporary distribution of microplastics in the neustonic area, at -5m and in the deep-sea water column, marine sediments and in the air. Obtained samples were distributed to FACTS consortium and characterized. µ-FTIR and µ-Raman imaging as well as pyrolysis GCMS were used to characterise the plastic litter content in the collected environments samples. Obtained results so far point out relatively high levels of microplastics in the surface and sub surface waters with tens to thousands of particles per cubic meter of filtered seawater. Similar polymer groups in the surface and subsurface waters were observed while the relative abundances of denser polymers tend to increase with depth.

FACTS project provided: - a better understanding of the Identification, characterization and quantification of the major microplastic sources in open and semiclosed marine enviroments. - a robust monitoring and mapping data for microplastics to be used by ecotoxicologists to set exposure studies toward the most natural like condition thus facilitating the understanding of microplastics effects on the marine environmentC Contributed with new insights about novel and effective sampling and analytical methodologies - focusing on the smaller (nano-)particles for all environmentally relevant matrices

FACTS is structured around a set of sampling campaigns reaching from the German Bight to Svalbard, where samples are collected from large research vessels, smaller research vessels, fishery vessels and land based boats. Plastic particle concentrations, obtained from the proposed sampling campaigns are implemented into oceanographic models. The modelling approach is used to integrate release and transport scenarios, and the likelihood and timescale for particle pathways is estimated based on sinking, defragmentation, and beaching rates, obtained from observations. FACTS will be enhanced by tackling the current challenges of nanoplastics and tyre wear particle detection in marine samples. Both particle types are currently not accessible for mass balances of marine plastics contamination. Finally FACTS synthesises the knowledge gained and disseminates it to a wide range of stakeholders, ranging from other scientists to European decision makers.

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Funding scheme:

MARINFORSK-Marine ressurser og miljø