TY  - JOUR
A1  - Scherer, Christian
A1  - Weber, Annkatrin
A1  - Stock, Friederike
A1  - Vurusic, Sebastijan
A1  - Egerci, Harun
A1  - Kochleus, Christian
A1  - Arendt, Niklas
A1  - Földi, Corinna
A1  - Dierkes, Georg
A1  - Wagner, Martin
A1  - Brennholt, Nicole
A1  - Reifferscheid, Georg
T1  - Comparative assessment of microplastics in water and sediment of a large European river
T2  - The science of the total environment
N2  - Aquatic ecosystems are globally contaminated with microplastics (MP). However, comparative data on MP levels in freshwater systems is still scarce. Therefore, the aim of this study is to quantify MP abundance in water and sediment of the German river Elbe using visual, spectroscopic (Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy) and thermo analytical (pyrolysis gas chromatography mass spectrometry) methods. Samples from eleven German sites along the German part of the Elbe were collected, both in the water and sediment phase, in order to better understand MP sinks and transport mechanisms. MP concentrations differed between the water and sediment phase. Sediment concentrations (mean: 3,350,000 particles m−3, 125–5000 μm MP) were in average 600,000-fold higher than water concentrations (mean: 5.57 particles m−3, 150–5000 μm MP). The abundance varied between the sampling sites: In sediments, the abundance decreased in the course of the river while in water samples no such clear trend was observed. This may be explained by a barrage retaining sediments and limiting tidal influence in the upstream parts of the river. Particle shape differed site-specifically with one site having exceptionally high quantities of spheres, most probably due to industrial emissions of PS-DVB resin beads. Suspended MP consisted predominantly of polyethylene and polypropylene whereas sediments contained a higher diversity of polymer types. Determined MP concentrations correspond well to previous results from other European rivers. In a global context, MP levels in the Elbe relate to the lower (water) to middle section (sediment) of the global range of MP concentrations determined for rivers worldwide. This highlights that elevated MP levels are not only found in single countries or continents, but that MP pollution is an issue of global concern.
KW  - Plastic polymers
KW  - Abundance
KW  - Visual analysis
KW  - Pyrolysis GC–MS
KW  - ATR-FTIR
KW  - Freshwater
Y1  - 2020
UR  - http://publikationen.ub.uni-frankfurt.de/frontdoor/index/index/docId/64614
UR  - https://nbn-resolving.org/urn:nbn:de:hebis:30:3-646141
SN  - 0048-9697
VL  - 738
IS  - Art. 139866
PB  - Elsevier Science
CY  - Amsterdam [u.a.]
ER  -