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Distinct microplastic patterns in the sediment and biota of an urban stream

Distinct microplastic patterns in the sediment and biota of an urban stream
Distinct microplastic patterns in the sediment and biota of an urban stream
Urban freshwaters, their sediments and resident biota are often highly susceptible to microplastic contamination from catchment-specific sources. Water velocity and spatiotemporal dynamics within the system can impact microplastic loads, while biological features may additionally impact levels within freshwater biota. Here, we investigated the spatiotemporal variations in microplastic loads collected from sediment, macroinvertebrate and fish samples from an urban watercourse (Bourne Stream) in Dorset, southwest England. Sediment particles were mostly fragments of colours (especially orange and purple) whereas microplastics in both macroinvertebrates and fishes were blue/green and fibres. Across all sample types, the dominant particle size class was ≤100 μm. Median (M) and range (R) of microplastic loads within each sample type were sediment: M = 0.06, R = 0–0.36 particles g−1; macroinvertebrates: M = 0, R = 0–4 particles per batch; and fishes: M = 1, R = 0–6 particles per individual. Sediment loads varied spatially, with the highest load in the most upstream site, whereas biotic loads did not vary across space and time. Macroinvertebrate batch loadings varied between taxa and feeding guild, with counts significantly higher in annelids but lower in herbivores. Fish counts were higher in species with true, differentiated stomachs, but with the effects of species, feeding guild and body size being non-significant. Within sites, mean microplastic loads did not correlate between sediment, macroinvertebrate and fish samples. These results suggest that sediment freshwater microplastic loadings may vary spatially but that these trends are not reflected by, or correlated to, those in the biota where ingestion varies with biological traits. Assessments of freshwater microplastic contamination must therefore consider sampling spatiotemporally and across different biotic communities to fully understand the scale of contamination, and to subsequently undertake effective mitigation steps.
0048-9697
Parker, Ben
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Britton, J. Robert
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Pabortsava, Katsiaryna
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Barrow, Magdalena
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Green, Iain D.
ea646964-b393-4389-9dad-965518e5b565
Dominguez Almela, Victoria
c46c331c-e5ba-4da9-8f58-207a4999e02e
Andreou, Demetra
e06d2d95-c8e6-470a-9471-20b1d200f65b
Parker, Ben
3f8bf047-076c-4469-9d53-aa722ebac9e4
Britton, J. Robert
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Pabortsava, Katsiaryna
8ba31f25-ac03-41c9-a76f-3a4fff6675dc
Barrow, Magdalena
d7e02e12-478e-4153-8dc4-d0e1da94b920
Green, Iain D.
ea646964-b393-4389-9dad-965518e5b565
Dominguez Almela, Victoria
c46c331c-e5ba-4da9-8f58-207a4999e02e
Andreou, Demetra
e06d2d95-c8e6-470a-9471-20b1d200f65b

Parker, Ben, Britton, J. Robert, Pabortsava, Katsiaryna, Barrow, Magdalena, Green, Iain D., Dominguez Almela, Victoria and Andreou, Demetra (2022) Distinct microplastic patterns in the sediment and biota of an urban stream. Science of the Total Environment, 838 (3), [156477]. (doi:10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.156477).

Record type: Article

Abstract

Urban freshwaters, their sediments and resident biota are often highly susceptible to microplastic contamination from catchment-specific sources. Water velocity and spatiotemporal dynamics within the system can impact microplastic loads, while biological features may additionally impact levels within freshwater biota. Here, we investigated the spatiotemporal variations in microplastic loads collected from sediment, macroinvertebrate and fish samples from an urban watercourse (Bourne Stream) in Dorset, southwest England. Sediment particles were mostly fragments of colours (especially orange and purple) whereas microplastics in both macroinvertebrates and fishes were blue/green and fibres. Across all sample types, the dominant particle size class was ≤100 μm. Median (M) and range (R) of microplastic loads within each sample type were sediment: M = 0.06, R = 0–0.36 particles g−1; macroinvertebrates: M = 0, R = 0–4 particles per batch; and fishes: M = 1, R = 0–6 particles per individual. Sediment loads varied spatially, with the highest load in the most upstream site, whereas biotic loads did not vary across space and time. Macroinvertebrate batch loadings varied between taxa and feeding guild, with counts significantly higher in annelids but lower in herbivores. Fish counts were higher in species with true, differentiated stomachs, but with the effects of species, feeding guild and body size being non-significant. Within sites, mean microplastic loads did not correlate between sediment, macroinvertebrate and fish samples. These results suggest that sediment freshwater microplastic loadings may vary spatially but that these trends are not reflected by, or correlated to, those in the biota where ingestion varies with biological traits. Assessments of freshwater microplastic contamination must therefore consider sampling spatiotemporally and across different biotic communities to fully understand the scale of contamination, and to subsequently undertake effective mitigation steps.

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Accepted/In Press date: 31 May 2022
e-pub ahead of print date: 2 June 2022
Published date: 7 June 2022

Identifiers

Local EPrints ID: 475913
URI: http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/id/eprint/475913
ISSN: 0048-9697
PURE UUID: 4f4abbc0-1002-4c3c-94aa-d3e52fce451c
ORCID for Victoria Dominguez Almela: ORCID iD orcid.org/0000-0003-4877-5967

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Date deposited: 30 Mar 2023 16:52
Last modified: 17 Mar 2024 04:11

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Contributors

Author: Ben Parker
Author: J. Robert Britton
Author: Katsiaryna Pabortsava
Author: Magdalena Barrow
Author: Iain D. Green
Author: Demetra Andreou

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