Marine microplastics are emerging contaminants of growing concern, causing harm to marine organisms that ingest them and leaching potentially harmful chemicals into the food chain. Plastics enter the marine environment in a variety of ways and break down into smaller pieces over time, although they can remain in the marine environment for a very long time. This study monitored the temporal change in plastic abundance and chemical composition to estimate how the landscape of plastic pollution changes in a given week. Samples were collected in Horseshoe Cove of Sandy Hook, NJ, one week apart at low tide from a randomized one meter quadrat. Plastics isolated from these samples were analyzed using Pyrolysis-Gas Chromatography/Mass Spectrometry. Polyethylene and polypropylene were the most frequently detected polymers every week, which corresponds well with those being the most manufactured polymers. Mixed polymers, such as polypropylene-polystyrene and styrene-butadiene rubber, were also occasionally detected. This may imply that the potential environmental impacts of specific polymers stays relatively constant, as there is no significant weekly change in polymer composition. The highest abundance of plastic and most polymer variety occurred early in the summer. Plastic continues to persist in the environment and pose a threat to marine organisms, and so measures should be taken to cease the widespread production of single-use plastics.

Weekly time series of microplastic abundance and composition on Sandy Hook, NJ

ACS Spring 2022

The official archive and repository for all ACS Meetings & Expositions abstracts and select posters or presentations.