Marine litter is an important environmental problem, with plastic debris constituting a substantial proportion of the items found on shores, in the water column or deposited on the sea floor worldwide. There is evidence that the abundance of microplastics is increasing in marine waters and sediments but the potential environmental consequences are as yet largely unknown. Ingestion of microplastics has been demonstrated for invertebrates, birds and fish with some indication of physical effects. There is a growing body of literature on the sorption and desorption of organic pollutants to and from plastics.  Many of these compounds have anthropogenic sources and are being produced in greater quantities than ever before around the globe. These compounds including pharmaceuticals, personal-care products, pesticides, hormones and industrial contaminants, and are collectively termed as trace organic compounds. Studies have illustrated the potential for plastic debris to sorb, concentrate and transport trace organics in the marine environment as well as their ingestion by marine organisms. Therefore it is necessary to assess the environmental risk caused by these substances and data on exposure is required for quantitative risk assessment of trace organics and microplastics.<br/>Although several studies have been carried out on sampling microplastics in the ocean, the amount of trace organics retained by these plastics is not fully understood and some chemical burden has not yet been identified. In particular, more studies are needed on the retention of trace organics in microplastics. Due to the lack of information on the chemical burden of microplastics, expecially during residence in the ocean, and to the occurrence of probable trace chemicals in all water sources, more research is needed in order to better understand the role of trace organics in microplastic contamination. This presentation illustrates the sampling efforts and experimental design for evaluation of microplastics in a Pacific coastal harbor.

Ocean microplastics: Initial evaluation in a Pacific harbour region

251st National Meeting (2016)

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