气候变化领域集成服务门户(CCPortal): Global Modeled Sinking Characteristics of Biofouled Microplastic

CCPortal

DOI	10.1029/2020JC017098
	Global Modeled Sinking Characteristics of Biofouled Microplastic
	Lobelle D.; Kooi M.; Koelmans A.A.; Laufkötter C.; Jongedijk C.E.; Kehl C.; van Sebille E.
发表日期	2021
ISSN	21699275
卷号	126 期号:4
英文摘要	Microplastic debris ending up at the sea surface has become a known major environmental issue. However, how microplastic particles move and when they sink in the ocean remains largely unknown. Here, we model microplastic subject to biofouling (algal growth on a substrate) to estimate sinking timescales and the time to reach the depth where particles stop sinking. We combine NEMO-MEDUSA 2.0 output, that represents hydrodynamic and biological properties of seawater, with a particle-tracking framework. Different sizes and densities of particles (for different types of plastic) are simulated, showing that the global distribution of sinking timescales is largely size-dependent as opposed to density-dependent. The smallest particles we simulate (0.1 μm) start sinking almost immediately around the globe and their trajectories take the longest time to reach their first sinking depth (relative to larger particles). In oligotrophic subtropical gyres with low algal concentrations, particles between 1 and 0.01 mm do not sink within the simulation time of 90 days. This suggests that in addition to the comparatively well-known physical processes, biological processes might also contribute to the accumulation of floating plastic (of 1–0.01 mm) in subtropical gyres. Particles of 1 μm in the gyres start sinking largely due to vertical advection, whereas in the equatorial Pacific they are more dependent on biofouling. The qualitative impacts of seasonality on sinking timescales are small, however, localized sooner sinking due to spring algal blooms is seen. This study maps processes that affect the sinking of virtual microplastic globally, which could ultimately impact the ocean plastic budget. © 2021. The Authors.
英文关键词	Biofouling; Lagrangian; microplastic; modeling
语种	英语
来源期刊	Journal of Geophysical Research: Oceans
文献类型	期刊论文
条目标识符	http://gcip.llas.ac.cn/handle/2XKMVOVA/186374
作者单位	Institute for Marine and Atmospheric Research, Utrecht University, Utrecht, Netherlands; Aquatic Ecology and Water Quality Management Group, Department of Environmental Sciences, Wageningen University, Wageningen, Netherlands; Climate and Environmental Physics, Physics Institute, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland; Oeschger Centre for Climate Change Research, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland; Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom; Centre for Complex Systems Studies, Utrecht University, Utrecht, Netherlands
推荐引用方式 GB/T 7714	Lobelle D.,Kooi M.,Koelmans A.A.,et al. Global Modeled Sinking Characteristics of Biofouled Microplastic[J],2021,126(4).
APA	Lobelle D..,Kooi M..,Koelmans A.A..,Laufkötter C..,Jongedijk C.E..,...&van Sebille E..(2021).Global Modeled Sinking Characteristics of Biofouled Microplastic.Journal of Geophysical Research: Oceans,126(4).
MLA	Lobelle D.,et al."Global Modeled Sinking Characteristics of Biofouled Microplastic".Journal of Geophysical Research: Oceans 126.4(2021).