title: Widespread distribution of microplastics in subsurface seawater in the NE Pacific Ocean.
abstract: We document the abundance, composition and distribution of microplastics in sub-surface seawaters of the northeastern Pacific Ocean and coastal British Columbia. Samples were acid-digested and plastics were characterized using light microscopy by type (fibres or fragments) and size (<100, 100-500, 500-100 and >1000 μm). Microplastics concentrations ranged from 8 to 9200 particles/m(3); lowest concentrations were in offshore Pacific waters, and increased 6, 12 and 27-fold in west coast Vancouver Island, Strait of Georgia, and Queen Charlotte Sound, respectively. Fibres accounted for ∼ 75% of particles on average, although nearshore samples had more fibre content than offshore (p<0.05). While elevated microplastic concentrations near urban areas are consistent with land-based sources, the high levels in Queen Charlotte Sound appeared to be the result of oceanographic conditions that trap and concentrate debris. This assessment of microplastics in the NE Pacific is of interest in light of the on-coming debris from the 2011 Tohoku Tsunami.
authors.affiliation: School of Earth and Ocean Sciences, University of Victoria, PO Box 1700, Victoria, BC, Canada.
authors.forename: Jean-Pierre W
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Desforges
authors.affiliation: Institute of Ocean Sciences, Fisheries and Oceans Canada, PO Box 6000, Sidney, BC, Canada.
authors.forename: Moira
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Galbraith
authors.affiliation: Institute of Ocean Sciences, Fisheries and Oceans Canada, PO Box 6000, Sidney, BC, Canada.
authors.forename: Neil
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Dangerfield
authors.affiliation: Vancouver Aquarium, PO Box 3232, Vancouver, BC V6E 3G2, Canada. Electronic address: Peter.Ross@vanaqua.org.
authors.forename: Peter S
authors.initials: PS
authors.lastname: Ross
mesh_terms: D001955:British Columbia; D004784:Environmental Monitoring; D010140:Pacific Ocean; D010969:Plastics / Q000032:analysis*; D012623:Seawater / Q000737:chemistry; D057192:Tsunamis; D014866:Waste Products / Q000032:analysis* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical / Q000032:analysis*
chemical_list: D010969:Plastics; D014866:Waste Products; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical
keywords: British Columbia; Litter; Microplastic; Pacific Ocean; Plastic; Tsunami debris