DOI 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2022.113353 Microplastics (MPs) were sampled in three seasons from 2016 to 2018 in the Bay of Marseille, northwestern Mediterranean Sea, adjacent to a highly urbanized area. Six sites were selected according to their different characteristics (river mouth, treatment plants, protected marine area). Surface floating MPs were characterized (number, weight, typology and polymer) as was zooplankton. In addition, mussels were submerged and used to investigate ingestion. Finally, a hydrodynamic model was used to improve understanding of dispersion mechanisms. The annual averages of floating MPs values ranged from 39,217 to 514,817 items/km2. The MPs collected were mainly fragments principally composed of polyethylene and polypropylene. The mean abundance ratio (MPs/zooplankton) was 0.09. On average 87% of mussel pools were contaminated and ingested 18.73 items/100 g of flesh. Two hydrodynamic patterns were identified: the first retaining the MPs in the harbor, and the second dispersing them outside.
Microplastics, Mediterranean Sea, Harbor, Impact, Zooplankton
| File | Pages | Size | Access | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Publisher's official version | 12 | 2 Mo | ||
Supplementary material - Table 1. : Sampling date by station. | - | 13 Ko | ||
Supplementary material - Table 2. : Depth of immersion of pockest of mussels and depth of site. | - | 12 Ko | ||
Supplementary material - Fig. 1. : (a) Size class percentage for all stations by years | - | 135 Ko | ||
Supplementary material - Fig. 1. : (b) Size class percentage for all years by stations. | - | 179 Ko | ||
Supplementary material - Fig. 2. : Distribution of typology percentages for microplastic and mesoplastic particles by years. Distribution of typology percentages only for microplastics by sites or sta | - | 527 Ko | ||
Supplementary material - Fig. 3. : Average volume (biovolume in mm3) occupied by MPs and zooplankton in the Bay of Marseille and in the Rhône station (winter 2016, spring 2017 and summer 2018). | - | 118 Ko | ||
Supplementary material - Fig. 4. : Typical circulation in the area of Marseille in the case of the Mistral (northerlies); (b) Surface current in the case of easterly wind. | - | 621 Ko | ||
Author's final draft | 14 | 1 Mo |
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