Published November 9, 2022 | Version Accepted manuscript
Journal article Open

Accumulation, transformation and transport of microplastics in estuarine fronts

Creators

  • 1. Key Laboratory of Marine Environment and Ecology, Ocean University of China, Qingdao, China
  • 2. Japan Agency for Marine-Earth Science and Technology, Yokosuka, Japan
  • 3. Department of Marine and Environmental Science, Northeastern University, Boston MA, USA
  • 4. Department of Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
  • 5. GEOMAR Helmholtz Centre for Ocean Research, Kiel, Germany
  • 6. Faculty of Science and Marine Environment, Universiti Malaysia Terengganu, Kuala Nerus, Malaysia
  • 7. Tropical Marine Science Institute, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore

Description

Million tons of riverine plastic waste, numerically dominated by microplastics, annually enter the ocean via estuaries. Featured by strong horizontal convergence, estuarine fronts, ubiquitous coastal features, plausibly accumulate, transform and further involve microplastics into diverse processes, but have received limited attention. In this Perspective, we discuss the accumulation potential of microplastics and its subsequent interactions with physical-biological-geochemicalprocesses at estuarine fronts. Microplastics fragmentation and transformation could be enhanced within frontal systems due to strong turbulence and interactions with sediment and biological particles, thus intensifying potential impacts on ecological and biogeochemical processes. The concurrent accumulation of microplastics and biota at fronts provides a unique chance to assess microplastics risks at high concentrations, a likely common scenario in future ocean. Transdisciplinary efforts in the mechanics of plastic dispersal, accumulation and fate in frontal zones will advance the knowledge of riverine microplastics fate, favoring the developments of mitigation policies, strategies and techniques.

Notes

This version of the article has been accepted for publication, after peer review and is subject to Springer Nature's AM terms of use, but is not the Version of Record and does not reflect post-acceptance improvements, or any corrections. The Version of Record is available online at: http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/s43017-022-00349-x Wang, T., Zhao, S., Zhu, L. et al. "Accumulation, transformation and transport of microplastics in estuarine fronts". Nat Rev Earth Environ 3, 795–805 (2022). Available on the Publisher's website at this link https://rdcu.be/cZJrJ Funding & Acknowledgments: We thank X. Li for her assistance with the illustration in the original Figs. 2 and 3. Funding support was provided through the Asia-Pacific Network Project (CRRP2021-08MY-Zhao to T.W., R.M.A. and S.Z.). This study was also supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (42076006) and by the European Union's Horizon 2020 Research And Innovation Programme under a Marie Skłodowska-Curie grant (PLOCEAN 882682 to L.G.), an International Partnership Research Grant (UMT 55379 to R.M.A.) and the National Research Foundation Singapore through the Marine Environmental (to M.C.).

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Is published in
Journal article: 10.1038/s43017-022-00349-x (DOI)

Funding

PLOCEAN – Plastic impacts on Ocean's biogeochemical cycles in the Anthropocene 882682
European Commission