Monitoring of microplastic pollution in the Arctic: recent developments in polymer identification, quality assurance and control, and data reporting


Contact
sebastian.primpke [ at ] awi.de

Abstract

The pollution of the environment with plastics is of growing concern worldwide, including the Arctic region. While larger plastic pieces are a visible pollution issue, smaller microplastics are not visible with the naked eye. These particles are available for interaction by Arctic biota and have become a concern for animal and human health. The determination of microplastic properties includes several methodological steps, i.e., sampling, extraction, quantification, and chemical identification. This review discusses suitable analytical tools for the identification, quantification, and characterization of microplastics in the context of monitoring in the Arctic. It further addresses quality assurance and quality control (QA/QC), which is particularly important for the determination of microplastic in the Arctic, as both contamination and analyte losses can occur. It presents specific QA/QC measures for sampling procedures and for the handling of samples in the laboratory, either on land or on ship, and considering the small size of microplastics as well as the high risk of contamination. The review depicts which data should be mandatory to report, thereby supporting a framework for harmonized data reporting.



Item Type
Article
Authors
Divisions
Primary Division
Programs
Primary Topic
Publication Status
Published
Eprint ID
58629
DOI 10.1139/as-2022-0006

Cite as
Primpke, S. , Booth, A. M. , Gerdts, G. , Gomiero, A. , Kögel, T. , Lusher, A. , Strand, J. , Scholz-Böttcher, B. M. , Galgani, F. , Provencher, J. , Aliani, S. , Patankar, S. and Vorkamp, K. (2023): Monitoring of microplastic pollution in the Arctic: recent developments in polymer identification, quality assurance and control, and data reporting , Arctic Science, 9 (1), pp. 176-197 . doi: 10.1139/as-2022-0006


Download
[thumbnail of Primpke et al. Arctic Science 2023.pdf]
Preview
PDF
Primpke et al. Arctic Science 2023.pdf

Download (2MB) | Preview

Share
Add to AnyAdd to TwitterAdd to FacebookAdd to LinkedinAdd to PinterestAdd to Email


Citation


Actions
Edit Item Edit Item