A baseline for microplastic occurrence in three New England estuaries

Abstract

Although microplastics (MP) have been documented in estuarine habitats, limited published data exist for New Hampshire and northern Massachusetts hampering meaningful, regional comparison with other geographies. Here we synthesize previously unpublished data from several independent baseline studies spanning three estuarine systems including Great Bay Estuary (GBE), Hampton-Seabrook Estuary (HSE), and Great Marsh Estuary (GME) to compare geographic data for MP to other published regional studies. Data include water column in GBE (n = 179 from 7 sites), surface waters and salt marsh sediment cores from HSE (n = 72 water samples from 12 sites and n = 77 sediment cores from 8 sites), and surface waters from GME (n = 42 water samples at 17 sites). Samples were analyzed for MP characteristics initially via either automated confocal microscopy or light microscopy, allowing initial estimation of the number and size distribution of putative MP. Particles from representative samples were analyzed using laser direct infrared spectrometry (LDIR) to determine elemental analysis. MP were found in > 98% of samples collected including surface waters, water column, and marine sediments. Counts ranged from 1 to 144,000 MP particles m^-3 and mean MP differed significantly among regions, sites within regions, and across years. In the GBE water column, MP tended to peak during June-August in 4 of the 5 years studied. Most MP were roughly circular and ~50 μm in diameter. LDIR confirmed that many types of plastics are in these estuarine waters and also revealed that despite the digestion processes, biogenic materials often remained, predominantly chitin, rubber, wood, and coal. These data allow us to address the realistic levels of risk that estuarine MP pose in NH and northern MA estuaries and can be used to populate existing hydrodynamic models that will predict the tributary sources, movements, and fate of MP within these aquatic habitats.

Keywords

Microplastic / estuary / rural runoff / New England

References

[1] Peng J,Cai L.Current understanding of microplastics in the environment: occurrence, fate, risks, and what we should do.Integr Environ Assess Manag2017;13:476-82

[2] Carpenter EJ.Plastics on the Sargasso sea surface.Science1972;175:1240-1

[3] Carpenter EJ,Harvey GR,Peck BB.Polystyrene spherules in coastal waters.Science1972;178:749-50

[4] Gregory MR.Accumulation and distribution of virgin plastic granules on New Zealand beaches.N Z J Mar Freshwater Res1978;12:399-414

[5] Gregory MR.Virgin plastic granules on some beaches of Eastern Canada and Bermuda.Mar Environ Res1983;10:73-92

[6] Winston JE.Drift plastic - an expanding niche for a marine invertebrate?.Mar Pollut Bull1982;13:348-51

[7] Cheng L. Marine insects. 1976. Available from: https://escholarship.org/uc/item/1pm1485b. [Last accessed on 29 Nov 2023]

[8] Barboza LGA,Lavorante BRBO,Guilhermino L.Marine microplastic debris: an emerging issue for food security, food safety and human health.Mar Pollut Bull2018;133:336-48

[9] Dodhia MS,Fernández-juárez V.Microbe-mineral interactions in the Plastisphere: coastal biogeochemistry and consequences for degradation of plastics.Front Mar Sci2023;10:1134815

[10] Cheng MLH,Dijkstra JA.A baseline for microplastic particle occurrence and distribution in Great Bay Estuary.Mar Pollut Bull2021;170:112653

[11] Seeley ME,Passie R.Microplastics affect sedimentary microbial communities and nitrogen cycling.Nat Commun2020;11:2372 PMCID:PMC7217880

[12] Li J,Xu Y,Zhang D.Microplastics in sediment cores as indicators of temporal trends in microplastic pollution in Andong salt marsh, Hangzhou Bay, China.Reg Stud Mar Scie2020;35:101149

[13] Lloret J,Vandal N.Salt marsh sediment act as sinks for microplastics and reveal effects of current and historical land use changes.Environ Adv2021;4:100060

[14] Carson HS,Carroll KA.The plastic-associated microorganisms of the North Pacific Gyre.Mar Pollut Bull2013;75:126-32

[15] Jokiel PL.Long-distance dispersal by rafting: reemergence of an old hypothesis.Endeavour1990;14:66-73

[16] Barnes DK.Biodiversity: invasions by marine life on plastic debris.Nature2002;416:808-9

[17] Zettler ER,Amaral-Zettler LA.Life in the “plastisphere”: microbial communities on plastic marine debris.Environ Sci Technol2013;47:7137-46

[18] Barnes D.Rafting by five phyla on man-made flotsam in the Southern Ocean.Mar Ecol Prog Ser2003;262:289-91

[19] Barnes DK. Natural and plastic flotsam stranding in the Indian Ocean. In: Davenport J, Davenport JL, editors. The effects of human transport on ecosystems: cars and planes, boats and trains. Dublin: Royal Irish Academy; 2004. p. 193-205. Available from: https://nora.nerc.ac.uk/id/eprint/16343/. [Last accessed on 29 Nov 2023]

[20] Masó M,Pagès F.Drifting plastic debris as a potential vector for dispersing Harmful Algal Bloom (HAB) species.Sci Mar2003;67:107-11

[21] Reisser J,Hallegraeff G.Millimeter-sized marine plastics: a new pelagic habitat for microorganisms and invertebrates.PLoS One2014;9:e100289 PMCID:PMC4062529

[22] Thompson RC,Mitchell RP.Lost at sea: where is all the plastic?.Science2004;304:838

[23] Plastic rafting: the invasive species hitching, a ride on ocean litter. Available from: https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2021/jun/14/plastic-rafting-the-invasive-species-hitching-a-ride-on-ocean-litter. [Last accessed on 29 Nov 2023]

[24] McCormick A,Mason SA,Kelly JJ.Microplastic is an abundant and distinct microbial habitat in an urban river.Environ Sci Technol2014;48:11863-71

[25] Urbanek AK,Mirończuk AM.Degradation of plastics and plastic-degrading bacteria in cold marine habitats.Appl Microbiol Biotechnol2018;102:7669-78 PMCID:PMC6132502

[26] Rogers KL,Gorokhova E.Micro-by-micro interactions: how microorganisms influence the fate of marine microplastics.Limnol Oceanogr Lett2020;5:18-36

[27] Gregory MR.Environmental implications of plastic debris in marine settings--entanglement, ingestion, smothering, hangers-on, hitch-hiking and alien invasions.Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci2009;364:2013-25 PMCID:PMC2873013

[28] Browne MA,Galloway TS,Thompson RC.Ingested microscopic plastic translocates to the circulatory system of the mussel, mytilus edulis (L.).Environ Sci Technol2008;42:5026-31

[29] Cole M,Fileman E,Galloway TS.The impact of polystyrene microplastics on feeding, function and fecundity in the marine copepod calanus helgolandicus.Environ Sci Technol2015;49:1130-7

[30] Al-Sid-Cheikh M,Stevenson K,Henry TB.Uptake, whole-body distribution, and depuration of nanoplastics by the scallop pecten maximus at environmentally realistic concentrations.Environ Sci Technol2018;52:14480-6

[31] Watts AJ,Goodhead RM.Uptake and retention of microplastics by the shore crab carcinus maenas.Environ Sci Technol2014;48:8823-30

[32] Farthing J,Dore WJ.Depuration conditions for great scallops (Pecten maximus).J Shellfish Res2003;22:409-14. Available from: https://api.semanticscholar.org/CorpusID:82533626. [Last accessed on 29 Nov 2023]

[33] Canniff PM.Microplastic ingestion by Daphnia magna and its enhancement on algal growth.Sci Total Environ2018;633:500-7

[34] Sussarellu R,Thomas Y.Oyster reproduction is affected by exposure to polystyrene microplastics.Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A2016;113:2430-5 PMCID:PMC4780615

[35] Markham E,Khairy M.Time trends of polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) in Antarctic biota.ACS Omega2018;3:6595-604 PMCID:PMC6045470

[36] Dawson AL,King CK.Turning microplastics into nanoplastics through digestive fragmentation by Antarctic krill.Nat Commun2018;9:1001 PMCID:PMC5843626

[37] Suckling CC.Responses to environmentally relevant microplastics are species-specific with dietary habit as a potential sensitivity indicator.Sci Total Environ2021;751:142341

[38] Biamis C,Hardiman G.Microplastic toxicity: a review of the role of marine sentinel species in assessing the environmental and public health impacts.Case Stud Chem Environ Eng2021;3:100073

[39] Smith M,Rochman CM.Microplastics in seafood and the implications for human health.Curr Environ Health Rep2018;5:375-86 PMCID:PMC6132564

[40] Dehaut A,Frère L.Microplastics in seafood: benchmark protocol for their extraction and characterization.Environ Pollut2016;215:223-33

[41] Rochman CM,Williams SL.Anthropogenic debris in seafood: Plastic debris and fibers from textiles in fish and bivalves sold for human consumption.Sci Rep2015;5:14340 PMCID:PMC4585829

[42] Kroon FJ,Jensen LH.Classification of marine microdebris: a review and case study on fish from the Great Barrier Reef, Australia.Sci Rep2018;8:16422 PMCID:PMC6219575

[43] Laursen SN,Dodhia MS.Settling of buoyant microplastic in estuaries: the importance of flocculation.Sci Total Environ2023;886:163976

[44] Short FT. The ecology of the Great Bay Estuary, New Hampshire and Maine: an estuarine profile and bibliography. PREP Reports & Publications; 1992. p. 222. Available from: https://scholars.unh.edu/prep/376/. [Last accessed on 29 Nov 2023]

[45] Stasse A,K Meyer.Temporal dynamics of eastern oyster, larval abundance in Great Bay Estuary, New Hampshire.J Shellfish Res2022;40:471-8

[46] Masura J,Foster G. Laboratory methods for the analysis of microplastics in the marine environment: recommendations for quantifying synthetic particles in waters and sediments. Available from: https://repository.oceanbestpractices.org/handle/11329/1076. [Last accessed on 29 Nov 2023]

[47] Hung C,Zhu X,Sutton R.Methods matter: methods for sampling microplastic and other anthropogenic particles and their implications for monitoring and ecological risk assessment.Integr Environ Assess Manag2021;17:282-91

[48] Brander SM,Foley MM.Sampling and quality assurance and quality control: a guide for scientists investigating the occurrence of microplastics across matrices.Appl Spectrosc2020;74:1099-125

[49] Miller E,Lin D.Recommended best practices for collecting, analyzing, and reporting microplastics in environmental media: lessons learned from comprehensive monitoring of San Francisco Bay.J Hazard Mater2021;409:124770

[50] Zhu X,Grbic J.Holistic assessment of microplastics and other anthropogenic microdebris in an urban bay sheds light on their sources and fate.ACS EST Water2021;1:1401-10

[51] Pasquier G,Kazour M.Manta net: the golden method for sampling surface water microplastics in aquatic environments.Front Environ Sci2022;10:811112

[52] Payne AR,Moore GE.Short-term effects of thin-layer sand placement on salt marsh grasses: a marsh organ field experiment.J Coast Res2021;37:771-8 PMCID:PMC9364950

[53] Enders K,Beer S,Browman H.Extraction of microplastic from biota: recommended acidic digestion destroys common plastic polymers.ICES J Mar Sci2017;74:326-31

[54] Maes T,Wellner N,Mayes AG.A rapid-screening approach to detect and quantify microplastics based on fluorescent tagging with Nile Red.Sci Rep2017;7:44501 PMCID:PMC5353725

[55] Shim WJ,Hong SH.Identification and quantification of microplastics using Nile Red staining.Mar Pollut Bull2016;113:469-76

[56] Erni-Cassola G,Thompson RC.Lost, but found with nile red: a novel method for detecting and quantifying small microplastics (1 mm to 20 μm) in environmental samples.Environ Sci Technol2017;51:13641-8

[57] Prata JC,Duarte AC.Methods for sampling and detection of microplastics in water and sediment: a critical review.TrAC Trends Analyt Chem2019;110:150-9

[58] Scircle A,Tisinger L,Robey D.Occurrence of microplastic pollution at oyster reefs and other coastal sites in the Mississippi sound, USA: impacts of freshwater inflows from flooding.Toxics2020;8:35 PMCID:PMC7355549

[59] Bäuerlein PS,Oesterholt FIHM,Kools SAE.Microplastic discharge from a wastewater treatment plant: long term monitoring to compare two analytical techniques, LDIR and optical microscopy while also assessing the removal efficiency of a bubble curtain.Water Sci Technol2023;87:39-56

[60] Nizamali J,Koelmans AA.Assessing microplastic characteristics in bottled drinking water and air deposition samples using laser direct infrared imaging.J Hazard Mater2023;441:129942

[61] Whiting QT,Potter PM.A high-throughput, automated technique for microplastics detection, quantification, and characterization in surface waters using laser direct infrared spectroscopy.Anal Bioanal Chem2022;414:8353-64 PMCID:PMC9805365

[62] Coppock RL,Lindeque PK,Galloway TS.A small-scale, portable method for extracting microplastics from marine sediments.Environ Pollut2017;230:829-37

[63] Stanton T,Nathanail P,Needham T.Exploring the efficacy of nile red in microplastic quantification: a costaining approach.Environ Sci Technol Lett2019;6:606-11

[64] Brown WS.The application of a segmented tidal mixing model to the Great Bay Estuary, N. H.Estuaries1980;3:248-57

[65] Neto JA, Gaylarde C, Beech I, Bastos AC, da Silva Quaresma V, de Carvalho DG. Microplastics and attached microorganisms in sediments of the Vitória bay estuarine system in SE Brazil.Ocean Coast Manag2019;169:247-53

[66] McEachern K,Kalagher AL,Morrison S.Microplastics in Tampa Bay, Florida: abundance and variability in estuarine waters and sediments.Mar Pollut Bull2019;148:97-106

[67] Song YK,Jang M.A comparison of microscopic and spectroscopic identification methods for analysis of microplastics in environmental samples.Mar Pollut Bull2015;93:202-9

[68] Barrows APW,Petersen CW.Marine environment microfiber contamination: global patterns and the diversity of microparticle origins.Environ Pollut2018;237:275-84

[69] Covernton GA,Gurney-Smith HJ.Size and shape matter: a preliminary analysis of microplastic sampling technique in seawater studies with implications for ecological risk assessment.Sci Total Environ2019;667:124-32

[70] Cutroneo L,Besio G.Microplastics in seawater: sampling strategies, laboratory methodologies, and identification techniques applied to port environment.Environ Sci Pollut Res Int2020;27:8938-52 PMCID:PMC7165152

[71] Biltcliff-ward A,Hudson MD.The estuarine plastics budget: a conceptual model and meta-analysis of microplastic abundance in estuarine systems.Estuar Coast Shelf Sci2022;275:107963

[72] Bikker J,Wilson S.Microplastics and other anthropogenic particles in the surface waters of the Chesapeake Bay.Mar Pollut Bull2020;156:111257

[73] Cohen JH,Mason RA.Observations and simulations of microplastic debris in a tide, wind, and freshwater-driven estuarine environment: the Delaware Bay.Environ Sci Technol2019;53:14204-11

[74] Suresh A,Saranya KS,Aneesh B.Microplastics distribution and contamination from the Cochin coastal zone, India.Reg Stud Mar Sci2020;40:101533

[75] Zhao S,Wang T.Suspended microplastics in the surface water of the Yangtze Estuary System, China: first observations on occurrence, distribution.Mar Pollut Bull2014;86:562-8

[76] Hitchcock JN.Microplastic pollution in estuaries across a gradient of human impact.Environ Pollut2019;247:457-66

[77] Ragoobur D,Somaroo GD.Microplastics in estuarine water and sediment in Mauritius.Reg Stud Mar Sci2023;57:102766

[78] Fulfer VM.Extensive estuarine sedimentary storage of plastics from city to sea: Narragansett Bay, Rhode Island, USA.Sci Rep2023;13:10195 PMCID:PMC10290116

[79] Claessens M,Van Landuyt L,Janssen CR.Occurrence and distribution of microplastics in marine sediments along the Belgian coast.Mar Pollut Bull2011;62:2199-204

[80] Cozzolino L,Zardi GI.Species-specific plastic accumulation in the sediment and canopy of coastal vegetated habitats.Sci Total Environ2020;723:138018

[81] Nor NH.Microplastics in Singapore's coastal mangrove ecosystems.Mar Pollut Bull2014;79:278-83

[82] Vianello A,Guerriero P.Microplastic particles in sediments of Lagoon of Venice, Italy: first observations on occurrence, spatial patterns and identification.Estuar Coast Shelf Sci2013;130:54-61

[83] Liebezeit G.Microplastics in beaches of the East Frisian islands Spiekeroog and Kachelotplate.Bull Environ Contam Toxicol2012;89:213-7

[84] Lv L,Yu Z.A simple method for detecting and quantifying microplastics utilizing fluorescent dyes - Safranine T, fluorescein isophosphate, Nile red based on thermal expansion and contraction property.Environ Pollut2019;255:113283

[85] Montoto-Martínez T,Melián-Ramírez A,Gelado-Caballero MD.Comparison between the traditional Manta net and an innovative device for microplastic sampling in surface marine waters.Mar Pollut Bull2022;185:114237

[86] Yonkos LT,Perez-Reyes AC,Arthur CD.Microplastics in four estuarine rivers in the Chesapeake Bay, U.S.A.Environ Sci Technol2014;48:14195-202

[87] Lattin GL,Zellers AF,Weisberg SB.A comparison of neustonic plastic and zooplankton at different depths near the southern California shore.Mar Pollut Bull2004;49:291-4

[88] Moore CJ,Weisberg SB,Zellers AF.A comparison of neustonic plastic and zooplankton abundance in southern California's coastal waters.Mar Pollut Bull2002;44:1035-8

[89] Manickavasagam S,Kumar K,Paul T.Quantitative assessment of influx and efflux of marine debris in a water channel of South Juhu creek, Mumbai, India.Reg Stud Mar Sci2020;34:101095

[90] Sadri SS.On the quantity and composition of floating plastic debris entering and leaving the Tamar Estuary, Southwest England.Mar Pollut Bull2014;81:55-60

[91] Fok L,Tang G.Size distribution of stranded small plastic debris on the coast of Guangdong, South China.Environ Pollut2017;220:407-12

[92] Bilgili A,Lynch DR,Swift MR.Estuary/ocean exchange and tidal mixing in a Gulf of Maine Estuary: a Lagrangian modeling study.Estuar Coast Shelf Sci2005;65:607-24

[93] Gallagher TW. MEMORANDUM: calibration of Great Bay Estuary hydrodynamic model and incremental nitrogen estimation. Available from: https://scholars.unh.edu/prep/411/. [Last accessed on 29 Nov 2023]

[94] Matso K. Flushing time versus residence time for the Great Bay Estuary. Available from: https://scholars.unh.edu/prep/413/. [Last accessed on 29 Nov 2023]

[95] Seabrook station environmental report, vol.1 - construction permit. Available from: https://www.nrc.gov/docs/ML1028/ML102880614.html. [Last accessed on 29 Nov 2023]

[96] Trowbridge P. Hydrological parameters for New Hampshire’s Estuaries. Available from: https://scholars.unh.edu/prep/130/. [Last accessed on 29 Nov 2023]

[97] Eberhardt AL. Hampton-seabrook estuary restoration compendium. Available from: https://scholars.unh.edu/prep/76/. [Last accessed on 29 Nov 2023]

[98] Piscataqua Region Estuaries Partnership. Piscataqua region environmental planning assessment 2015. Available from: https://scholars.unh.edu/prep/358/. [Last accessed on 29 Nov 2023]

[99] Payne AR,Moore GE.Potential effects of sea-level rise on salt marsh elevation dynamics in a New Hampshire Estuary.Estuaries Coast2019;42:1405-18

[100] Barnes DKA.Remote islands reveal rapid rise of southern hemisphere, sea debris.Sci World J2005;5:915-21 PMCID:PMC5936507

[101] Browne MA,Niven SJ.Accumulation of microplastic on shorelines woldwide: sources and sinks.Environ Sci Technol2011;45:9175-9

[102] Estahbanati S.Influence of wastewater treatment plant discharges on microplastic concentrations in surface water.Chemosphere2016;162:277-84