A groundbreaking study published in the journal Nature has revealed that nanoplastics, tiny plastic particles smaller than one micron, account for the majority of the total mass of plastic in the oceans. The research, conducted by an international team across Europe and South Korea, analyzed the presence of nanoplastics in different locations and depths of the North Atlantic Ocean.
The study suggests that nanoplastics may exceed the amount of micro- and macroplastics found in marine ecosystems, posing a significant threat to marine organisms and human health. The researchers used thermal desorption coupled with proton transfer mass spectrometry (TD-PTR-MS) to detect and quantify nanoplastics in Atlantic Ocean waters.
The findings highlight the urgent need for ambitious measures to curb plastic pollution, particularly the production and discharge of plastics into the environment. As global plastic production has multiplied exponentially since the mid-1950s, materials have fragmented into the nano range, increasing the available concentration.
The study’s results demonstrate that nanoplastics constitute a significant fraction of marine plastic pollution, with average concentrations ranging from 5.5 mg/m3 near the bottom to 18 mg/m3 in the top 10 meters of the ocean. This is significantly higher than previous estimates for microplastics and highlights the need for better detection methods.
The research also underscores the importance of addressing the issue of nanoplastics through preventive management, reducing plastic production, and establishing more ambitious regulations on traceability, composition, and final destination of plastics. The findings of this study will serve as a reference for future multi-temporal campaigns and complementary methods to improve our understanding of nanoplastic pollution.
The global community must take immediate action to tackle the growing problem of ocean plastic pollution, and the discovery of nanoplastics dominating this issue is a wake-up call to rethink our approach to managing plastics.
Source: https://sciencemediacentre.es/en/high-concentrations-nanoplastics-found-atlantic-ocean