The sudden, highly abundant presence of microplastics in the samples came as a surprise
By Kirsten Romaguera, The University of Florida
Researchers conducting a planned University of Florida-led study on plankton in two lagoons of the Florida Keys stumbled upon an unexpected presence in the course of their routine sampling: microplastics.
A new publication in the journal Scientific Reports details the discovery of “widespread presence of high concentrations of polystyrene microplastic particles” in the two lagoons, northeast Florida Bay and Barnes Sound. This is the first report of its kind for the area.
While macroplastics represent the more visible side of plastic waste, the study notes, microplastics – which are defined as particles less than 5 millimeters in diameter – may also contribute to environmental stresses. The particular type of plastic found in this sampling, polystyrene, is commonly used in foam cups and food clamshell containers, per a UF/IFAS Extension fact sheet.
Ed Phlips, a lead researcher on the study and professor in the UF/IFAS School of Forest, Fisheries and Geomatics Sciences, said it was the sudden, highly abundant presence of microplastics in the samples that came as a surprise. The study was conducted over two years, from May 2018 to April 2020, across 10 sample sites.
“It wasn’t until about ten months into the sampling that we first came across microplastics,” he said. The publication notes the first appearance at six sites in March 2019, followed by observances at all 10 sites two months later. “The microplastic particles were present at all sampling sites for months, until tapering off toward the end of our study.”
Phlips said there is insufficient information to confirm why the microplastics appeared so suddenly, or what caused them. The publication indicates the particles were likely secondary microplastics, or the result of degradation of larger debris, presenting a wide range of possible sources of the microplastics.
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