235
3
University of Bayreuth, Department of Animal Ecology I
and BayCEER, Bayreuth, Germany
12.1 Call for Abstracts
Microplastics (< 5 mm) have recently become a topic of
great societal concern and a widely studied field.
However, there are still many knowledge gaps concerning abundances, sources, sinks and transportation pathways, as well as their impact on biota. Reasons for this
are the challenging analytical methods and demanding
experimental set-ups for organism studies as well as the
lack of standardized operational procedures. To close
these gaps and generate comparable data in the future, we
invite young scientists to present innovative methodologies along with studies assessing the concentration of
microplastics in the environment or their impact on
aquatic life.
12.2 Abstracts of Oral Presentations
12.2.1 Micro-Methods to Macro-Results:
From a Novel Pollutant to an International
Environmental Issue
Natalie A. Welden
1*
1
Faculty of Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths,
Open University, Milton Keynes, United Kingdom
*invited speaker, corresponding author: natalie.welden@
open.ac.uk
Recognition of the increasing proportion of plastics under
5 mm in size has driven global analysis of microplastics in
marine biota, sediments and the water column. Over the past
10 years there has been almost exponential growth in the
number of studies of microplastic pollution. From initial
observations of the presence of microplastic, studies have
expanded to encompass numerous impacts of microplastics,
including the ecological, morphological, and ecotoxicological effects. In addition to the diversification of the field,
much more is required in terms of the number of samples,
geographic area and general scope of studies for publication
in high impact journals. The quest for standardization is
ongoing, and researchers face the challenges of plastic recovery, identification and statistical analysis. Recently, methods
to quantify microplastics in the environment have come from
the citizen science community. They use a combination of
achievable activities and subtle education to gather information and incite behavioral change. Notable successes include
the Great Nurdle Hunt, which gathers global sightings of
stranded nurdles. By including the public in research, we
generate meaningful contact with stakeholders and an
increased understanding of the project. Such engagement is
vital. The massive global action to reduce plastic pollution
(micro- and macro-) has not come from researchers. It is
from the investment of conservation charities and the concern of the public, the scale of pressure put on policy makers
and manufacturers. Globally it has been the public voice that
has translated the issues identified in peer reviewed literature
into measurable change. By stepping outside our laboratories
we are often able to reach more people in a day than our
publications ever will; by speaking, person to person, we can
communicate the way we feel about and issue, rather than
just its statistical significance; and by inspiring one person,
we can reach many more.
12.2.2 Behind the Scenes: Who Is the Polluter
of Slovenian Coast?
Špela Korez
1*
, Lars Gutow
1
, Reinhard Saborowski
1
1
Alfred Wegener Institute, Helmholtz Centre for Polar
and Marine Research, Am Handelshafen 12, 27570
Bremerhaven, Germany
*corresponding author: spela.korez@awi.de
Keywords: Adriatic Sea, Slovenia, Sediment samples,
Density separation with NaCl, Microplastics
Plastic litter in the marine environment is receiving
increasing attention. Namely, through rivers, ship traffic and
recreation is anthropogenically produced litter introduced
into the marine environment. Sun radiation and mechanical
impact degrade plastic items into smaller pieces, i.e., secondary microplastics. Alternatively, primary microplastics
from cosmetic products can enter the environment through
waste water drains. The number of microplastics at beaches
can vary substantially. In this study, the occurrence and the
quantity of microplastics in the Slovenian beach sediments
was investigated. Samples were taken in March 2017.
Microplastic particles were isolated by density separation in
an aqueous solution of common salt (NaCl). The floating
particles were separated and filtered over a 100-μm metal
filter. Putative microplastics were photographed and their
characteristics were noted (i.e., source, form, color) and
stored in glass vials with a Teflon lid. Potential contamination during the processing of the samples was controlled
with a white filter in petri dish exposed to air. The reliability
of the separation method was confirmed by a recovery
experiment which yielded 86–90% recovery of intentionally
added microplastics. Secondary microplastics were present
as fragments, films, and fibers. However, the present study
showed lower concentrations of microplastic at the
Slovenian beaches than previously reported by Laglbauer
et al. (2014, Marine Pollution Bulletin 89: 356–366). The
differences in the concentrations are probably due to seasonal fluctuations of microplastic concentration. Moreover,
contamination was not considered in the former study.
Potential pollutants of the Slovenian coast are tourism,
industry, sea- and road traffic, wastewater treatment plant,
Appendices
3
University of Bayreuth, Department of Animal Ecology I
and BayCEER, Bayreuth, Germany
12.1 Call for Abstracts
Microplastics (< 5 mm) have recently become a topic of
great societal concern and a widely studied field.
However, there are still many knowledge gaps concerning abundances, sources, sinks and transportation pathways, as well as their impact on biota. Reasons for this
are the challenging analytical methods and demanding
experimental set-ups for organism studies as well as the
lack of standardized operational procedures. To close
these gaps and generate comparable data in the future, we
invite young scientists to present innovative methodologies along with studies assessing the concentration of
microplastics in the environment or their impact on
aquatic life.
12.2 Abstracts of Oral Presentations
12.2.1 Micro-Methods to Macro-Results:
From a Novel Pollutant to an International
Environmental Issue
Natalie A. Welden
1*
1
Faculty of Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths,
Open University, Milton Keynes, United Kingdom
*invited speaker, corresponding author: natalie.welden@
open.ac.uk
Recognition of the increasing proportion of plastics under
5 mm in size has driven global analysis of microplastics in
marine biota, sediments and the water column. Over the past
10 years there has been almost exponential growth in the
number of studies of microplastic pollution. From initial
observations of the presence of microplastic, studies have
expanded to encompass numerous impacts of microplastics,
including the ecological, morphological, and ecotoxicological effects. In addition to the diversification of the field,
much more is required in terms of the number of samples,
geographic area and general scope of studies for publication
in high impact journals. The quest for standardization is
ongoing, and researchers face the challenges of plastic recovery, identification and statistical analysis. Recently, methods
to quantify microplastics in the environment have come from
the citizen science community. They use a combination of
achievable activities and subtle education to gather information and incite behavioral change. Notable successes include
the Great Nurdle Hunt, which gathers global sightings of
stranded nurdles. By including the public in research, we
generate meaningful contact with stakeholders and an
increased understanding of the project. Such engagement is
vital. The massive global action to reduce plastic pollution
(micro- and macro-) has not come from researchers. It is
from the investment of conservation charities and the concern of the public, the scale of pressure put on policy makers
and manufacturers. Globally it has been the public voice that
has translated the issues identified in peer reviewed literature
into measurable change. By stepping outside our laboratories
we are often able to reach more people in a day than our
publications ever will; by speaking, person to person, we can
communicate the way we feel about and issue, rather than
just its statistical significance; and by inspiring one person,
we can reach many more.
12.2.2 Behind the Scenes: Who Is the Polluter
of Slovenian Coast?
Špela Korez
1*
, Lars Gutow
1
, Reinhard Saborowski
1
1
Alfred Wegener Institute, Helmholtz Centre for Polar
and Marine Research, Am Handelshafen 12, 27570
Bremerhaven, Germany
*corresponding author: spela.korez@awi.de
Keywords: Adriatic Sea, Slovenia, Sediment samples,
Density separation with NaCl, Microplastics
Plastic litter in the marine environment is receiving
increasing attention. Namely, through rivers, ship traffic and
recreation is anthropogenically produced litter introduced
into the marine environment. Sun radiation and mechanical
impact degrade plastic items into smaller pieces, i.e., secondary microplastics. Alternatively, primary microplastics
from cosmetic products can enter the environment through
waste water drains. The number of microplastics at beaches
can vary substantially. In this study, the occurrence and the
quantity of microplastics in the Slovenian beach sediments
was investigated. Samples were taken in March 2017.
Microplastic particles were isolated by density separation in
an aqueous solution of common salt (NaCl). The floating
particles were separated and filtered over a 100-μm metal
filter. Putative microplastics were photographed and their
characteristics were noted (i.e., source, form, color) and
stored in glass vials with a Teflon lid. Potential contamination during the processing of the samples was controlled
with a white filter in petri dish exposed to air. The reliability
of the separation method was confirmed by a recovery
experiment which yielded 86–90% recovery of intentionally
added microplastics. Secondary microplastics were present
as fragments, films, and fibers. However, the present study
showed lower concentrations of microplastic at the
Slovenian beaches than previously reported by Laglbauer
et al. (2014, Marine Pollution Bulletin 89: 356–366). The
differences in the concentrations are probably due to seasonal fluctuations of microplastic concentration. Moreover,
contamination was not considered in the former study.
Potential pollutants of the Slovenian coast are tourism,
industry, sea- and road traffic, wastewater treatment plant,
Appendices