Quantification and characterization of plastics in near-shore surface waters of Atlantic Canada

Ariel Smith; Max Liboiron; Louis Charron; Jessie McIntyre; Kaitlyn Hawkins; Katie McLean; Sheldon Peddle; Greg Moore; Mary Jane Walzak; Alexa Goodman; Leah Fulton; Shanna Fredericks; Brooke Nodding

doi:10.1016/j.marpolbul.2022.113869

Quantification and characterization of plastics in near-shore surface waters of Atlantic Canada

Mar Pollut Bull. 2022 Aug:181:113869. doi: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2022.113869. Epub 2022 Jun 24.

Authors

Ariel Smith¹, Max Liboiron², Louis Charron³, Jessie McIntyre⁴, Kaitlyn Hawkins⁵, Katie McLean⁶, Sheldon Peddle⁷, Greg Moore⁷, Mary Jane Walzak⁸, Alexa Goodman⁹, Leah Fulton¹⁰, Shanna Fredericks⁴, Brooke Nodding⁴

Affiliations

¹ Coastal Action, Mahone Bay, NS, Canada. Electronic address: [email protected].
² Civic Laboratory for Environmental Action Research (CLEAR), Memorial University, St. John's, NL, Canada; Memorial University, St. John's, NL, Canada.
³ Civic Laboratory for Environmental Action Research (CLEAR), Memorial University, St. John's, NL, Canada.
⁴ Coastal Action, Mahone Bay, NS, Canada.
⁵ Memorial University, St. John's, NL, Canada.
⁶ Clean Annapolis River Project, Annapolis Royal, NS, Canada.
⁷ ACAP Humber Arm, Corner Brook, NL, Canada.
⁸ Surface Science Western, University of Western Ontario, London, ON, Canada.
⁹ Marine Environmental Observation Prediction and Response (MEOPAR), Dalhousie University, Halifax, NS, Canada; Dalhousie University, Halifax, NS, Canada.
¹⁰ Dalhousie University, Halifax, NS, Canada.

PMID: 35759899
DOI: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2022.113869

Abstract

Plastics are a ubiquitous pollutant in the marine environment. Despite growing concerns, quantitative and qualitative data on microplastics in aquatic and marine environments of Atlantic Canada is just emerging. Surface water plastics were measured and categorized by morphology (thread, microfibre, fragment, foam, film, pellet, and microbead) in two locations in Nova Scotia and one in Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada. All sites within the three locations contained plastic with an average abundance of 9669 items/km². Most plastics (68 %) were sized as microplastics (0.425-5 mm), and plastic fragments were the most common morphological type. Polyethylene accounted for a third (30 %) of all particles found across all three locations, followed by polypropylene (23 %). Results can inform future research for community-based environmental groups, government, and academia.

Keywords: Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy;; Marine debris;; Microplastics;; Newfoundland and Labrador; Nova Scotia;; Ocean;; Plastic pollution;.

MeSH terms

Environmental Monitoring / methods
Microplastics
Nova Scotia
Plastics*
Water Pollutants, Chemical* / analysis

Substances

Microplastics
Plastics
Water Pollutants, Chemical