Microplastic pollution in salt marsh and urban tributary sediment cores of the River Thames estuary, UK: spatial and temporal accumulation trends

Trusler, Megan M.; Cook, Sarah; Lomax, Barry H.; Vane, Christopher H. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8150-3640. 2025 Microplastic pollution in salt marsh and urban tributary sediment cores of the River Thames estuary, UK: spatial and temporal accumulation trends. Marine Pollution Bulletin, 211, 117360. 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2024.117360

Before downloading, please read NORA policies.

Preview

Text (Open Access Paper)
1-s2.0-S0025326X24013377-main.pdf - Published Version
Available under License Creative Commons Attribution 4.0.
Download (7MB) | Preview

Official URL: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.marpolbul.2024.117360

Abstract/Summary

Microplastics in sediment cores from urban tidal tributaries, Barking and Bow Creek-London and salt marshes Swanscombe, Kent, and Rainham, Essex, Thames estuary (UK), were quantified by density separation and ATR�FTIR spectroscopy. All eight tributary cores were dominated by low-density microplastics, polypropylene, polyethylene, and polystyrene with the greatest abundance (mean 360.0 ± 12.0 particles 100 g− 1 dwt (0–10 cm depth) observed furthest from the confluence with the Thames due to storm tank combined-sewer-overflow input. Salt marsh core microplastics were highest at Swanscombe (mean 267.1 ± 10.2 particles 100 g− 1 dwt at 0–10 cm depth) in the high-marsh vegetation zone. Marsh sediment radionuclide dating (Pb210, Cs137) sug gested a presence of microplastics in the sediment since at least the late 1950s, with increasing abundance to wards surface sediments. Tidal tributaries and salt marshes of the Thames act as natural filters, with salt marshes accumulating microplastics over time and tributaries acting as both stores and sources depending on individual site conditions and hydrodynamic variability.

Item Type:	Publication - Article
Digital Object Identifier (DOI):	10.1016/j.marpolbul.2024.117360
ISSN:	0025326X
Date made live:	04 Dec 2024 13:26 +0 (UTC)
URI:	https://nora.nerc.ac.uk/id/eprint/538503

Item Type:

Publication - Article

Digital Object Identifier (DOI):

10.1016/j.marpolbul.2024.117360

ISSN:

0025326X

Date made live:

04 Dec 2024 13:26 +0 (UTC)

URI:

https://nora.nerc.ac.uk/id/eprint/538503