PMID- 34653884
OWN - NLM
STAT- MEDLINE
DCOM- 20211207
LR  - 20211214
IS  - 1879-3363 (Electronic)
IS  - 0025-326X (Linking)
VI  - 173
IP  - Pt A
DP  - 2021 Dec
TI  - Occurrence and size distribution of microplastics in mudflat sediments of the 
      Cowichan-Koksilah Estuary, Canada: A baseline for plastic particles contamination 
      in an anthropogenic-influenced estuary.
PG  - 113033
LID - S0025-326X(21)01067-5 [pii]
LID - 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2021.113033 [doi]
AB  - Documenting the prevalence of microplastics in marine-coastal ecosystems serves 
      as a first step towards understanding their impacts and risks presented to higher 
      trophic levels. Estuaries exist at the interface between freshwater and marine 
      systems, and provide habitats for a diverse suite of species, including 
      shellfish, fish, and birds. We provide baseline values for estuarine mudflats 
      using sediment samples collected at Cowichan-Koksilah Estuary in British 
      Columbia, Canada, a biologically-rich estuary. The estuary also contains a marine 
      shipping terminal, forestry log sort area, and input of contaminants from nearby 
      residential and agricultural areas. Microplastics, both fragments and fibers, 
      occurred in 93% (13/14) of sediment samples. A mean of 6.8 microfibers/kg dw 
      (range: 0-12 microfibers/kg dw) and 7.9 microfragments/kg (range: 
      0-19 fragments/kg dw) occurred in individual samples, and counts of fibers and 
      fragments were strongly correlated (r = 0.78, p = 0.008, n = 14). The abundance 
      of microplastics tended to be higher on the north side of the estuary that 
      receives greater inputs from upland sources relative to the south side. Size 
      distributions of microplastic fragments and fibers were similar to sediment grain 
      size distribution with size categories 0.063 to 0.25 mm and 0.25 to 0.6 mm being 
      the most common for plastics and sediment, indicating the occurrence of 
      microplastics likely followed existing depositional processes within the estuary. 
      Microplastics in sediments were composed of a variety of polymers, including high 
      density polyethylene (HDPE), Nylon 6/6 (polyhexamethylene adipamide), and 
      polyethylene terephthalate-PETE (poly(1,4-cyclohexylene dimethylene 
      terephthalate)). This study indicates that microplastics occur throughout most of 
      the Cowichan-Koksilah Estuary, and future studies should focus on the exposure 
      risk and potential for bioaccumulation for wildlife species that feed on the 
      surface of intertidal mudflats.
CI  - Copyright (c) 2021. Published by Elsevier Ltd.
FAU - Alava, Juan Jose
AU  - Alava JJ
AD  - Ocean Pollution Research Unit, Institute for the Oceans and Fisheries, University 
      of British Columbia, AERL 2202 Main Mall, Vancouver, British Columbia V6T 1Z4, 
      Canada. Electronic address: j.alava@oceans.ubc.ca.
FAU - Kazmiruk, Tamara N
AU  - Kazmiruk TN
AD  - Department of Biological Sciences, Simon Fraser University, 8888 University Dr., 
      Burnaby, British Columbia V5A 1S6, Canada.
FAU - Douglas, Tristan
AU  - Douglas T
AD  - Cowichan Estuary Restoration and Conservation Association, 1069 Khenipsen Road, 
      Duncan, British Columbia V9L 5L3, Canada; School of Earth and Ocean Sciences, 
      University of Victoria, 9882 Ring Rd, Victoria, British Columbia V8P 3E6, Canada.
FAU - Schuerholz, Goetz
AU  - Schuerholz G
AD  - Cowichan Estuary Restoration and Conservation Association, 1069 Khenipsen Road, 
      Duncan, British Columbia V9L 5L3, Canada.
FAU - Heath, Bill
AU  - Heath B
AD  - Cowichan Estuary Restoration and Conservation Association, 1069 Khenipsen Road, 
      Duncan, British Columbia V9L 5L3, Canada.
FAU - Flemming, Scott A
AU  - Flemming SA
AD  - Environment and Climate Change Canada, Pacific Wildlife Research Centre, 5421 
      Robertson Rd, Delta, British Columbia V4K 3N2, Canada.
FAU - Bendell, Leah
AU  - Bendell L
AD  - Department of Biological Sciences, Simon Fraser University, 8888 University Dr., 
      Burnaby, British Columbia V5A 1S6, Canada.
FAU - Drever, Mark C
AU  - Drever MC
AD  - Environment and Climate Change Canada, Pacific Wildlife Research Centre, 5421 
      Robertson Rd, Delta, British Columbia V4K 3N2, Canada.
LA  - eng
PT  - Journal Article
DEP - 20211013
PL  - England
TA  - Mar Pollut Bull
JT  - Marine pollution bulletin
JID - 0260231
RN  - 0 (Microplastics)
RN  - 0 (Plastics)
RN  - 0 (Water Pollutants, Chemical)
SB  - IM
MH  - Animals
MH  - British Columbia
MH  - Ecosystem
MH  - Environmental Monitoring
MH  - Estuaries
MH  - Geologic Sediments
MH  - *Microplastics
MH  - Plastics
MH  - *Water Pollutants, Chemical/analysis
OTO - NOTNLM
OT  - British Columbia
OT  - Cowichan Estuary
OT  - Microfibers
OT  - Microfragments
OT  - Mudflat sediments
OT  - Polyethylene
OT  - Sediment deposition patterns
EDAT- 2021/10/16 06:00
MHDA- 2021/12/15 06:00
CRDT- 2021/10/15 20:27
PHST- 2021/08/31 00:00 [received]
PHST- 2021/09/30 00:00 [revised]
PHST- 2021/10/02 00:00 [accepted]
PHST- 2021/10/16 06:00 [pubmed]
PHST- 2021/12/15 06:00 [medline]
PHST- 2021/10/15 20:27 [entrez]
AID - S0025-326X(21)01067-5 [pii]
AID - 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2021.113033 [doi]
PST - ppublish
SO  - Mar Pollut Bull. 2021 Dec;173(Pt A):113033. doi: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2021.113033. 
      Epub 2021 Oct 13.