A1 Refereed original research article in a scientific journal
Microplastic accumulation in one-year freshwater ice: A four-year monitoring study reveals winter dynamics of microplastics
Authors: Soininen, Tuomo; Uurasjärvi, Emilia; Sorvari, Jouni; Saarni, Saija; Koistinen, Arto
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Publication year: 2024
Journal: Science of the Total Environment
Journal name in source: Science of The Total Environment
Article number: 177602
Volume: 957
ISSN: 0048-9697
eISSN: 1879-1026
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2024.177602
Web address : https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2024.177602
Self-archived copy’s web address: https://research.utu.fi/converis/portal/detail/Publication/477044533
Microplastic research has reached a point where microplastics (MPs) have been found in virtually every environment studied. However, MP studies of freshwater ice are scarce, and the winter dynamics of MPs are less understood. Measuring MPs from one-year freshwater ice samples can aid understanding seasonal MP fluxes in freshwater systems. In this study we explored the same four sites close to urban/suburban areas over four subsequent years. We collected a total of 48 ice samples across all the years and sites with an average sample volume of 2.9 to 5.0 L of liquid water. In addition, we sampled an annually laminated section of bottom sediments representing these four years in seasonal resolution. MP concentrations varied considerably between years and samples, being 1–44 MPs/L in all the ice samples. The MPs found in ice were small with a mean (± average) size of 142 ± 177 μm. In total, 9 different polymer types were identified: the most common types being polypropylene, polyethylene and polyethylene terephthalate. We found that MPs accumulate to one-year freshwater ice, because the MP concentrations found from ice are one to two orders of magnitude higher than concentrations from surfaces waters in the same area. This further confirms that ice acts as a temporal repository for MPs in the aquatic freshwater systems. Our study also indicates that the properties of MPs were relatively similar in all sites around the city. The accumulation of MPs in sediments was highest during the spring flood periods, when MPs were released from the ice and snow at the catchment area of the sediment samples. We highlight the importance of monitoring to collect representative MP data from various environmental compartments.
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Funding information in the publication:
The sediment research in this article was funded by AXA (2021-AXA-THEME 1-066).
