Microplastics Records from the Southern Ocean Sediments

ABSTRACT

The study records the extent of microplastics distribution in the surficial sediments of the Southern Ocean. This represents the first study of microplastics in the sediments of Prydz Bay, Southern Ocean. Prydz Bay is the largest embayment located in the Indian Ocean Sector of the Southern Ocean and receives sediments supplied by the Lambert Glacier/Amery Ice Shelf, draining approximately 10% of the total ice volume of Antarctica. It is an important site of circumpolar deep water (CDW) and Antarctic bottom water (AABW) formation. This study focuses on the distribution of microplastics in the sediments of the Prydz Bay, Southern Ocean with special reference to the ecological risk factor of these microplastics. The type distribution of microplastics revealed percent content as bead > fiber > fragment. Ecological risk factors (CF and PLI) of microplastics in sediment samples revealed a minor to major risk of these pollutants in the analyzed environment. Statistical analyses such as principal component analysis (PCA), ANOVA, Tukey's HSD test, and correlation analysis were performed to highlight the interrelationship of MPN with CF, PLI, pH, TOC, and sediment texture. The levels of microplastic pollution in the Prydz Bay are significant on a local scale, particularly around research stations. This report underlines the immediacy of microplastic pollution management in the Southern Ocean to maintain the serenity of this pristine marine habitat. So further research on the information of microplastics policy discussions to develop appropriate management responses.

KEYWORDS:

• Southern Ocean
• microplastics
• sediments
• distribution
• pollutants
• ecological risk

Acknowledgments

The authors are thankful to Dr Anil Kumar, N.H. Head, Ocean Science Division, National Center for Polar and Ocean Research, Goa, India, for the support, financial assistance, and facilities provided for the Southern Ocean Expedition. The authors express their gratitude to the Kerala State Council for Science, Technology and Environment (KSCSTE) for the award of the Woman Scientist Fellowship to Dr Manju P. Nair.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Additional information

Funding

The work was supported by the Kerala State Council for Science, Technology, and Environment [KSCSTE/252/2021-BLP].