Origins and Biological Accumulation of Small Plastic Particles in Fur Seals From Macquarie Island

From the abstract of the referenced paper:

One hundred and sixty four plastic particles (mean length 4.1 mm) recovered from the scats of fur seals (Arctocephalus spp.) on Macquarie Island were examined.

Electron micrographs of 41 of the plastic particles showed that none could be identified as plastic pellet feedstock from their shapes. Commonly, such pellets are cylindrical and spherical. Instead, all the 164 plastic particles from the seal scats were angular particles of 7 colors (feedstock particles are normally opaque or white) and could be classified into 2 categories: i) fragmented along crystal lines and likely to be the result of UV breakdown; and ii) worn by abrasion (where striations were clearly visible) into irregular shapes with rounded corners. White, brown, green, yellow and blue were the most common colors. In composition, they came from 5 polymer groups; polyethylene 93%, polypropylene 4%, poly(1-Cl-1-butenylene) polychloroprene 2%, melamine-urea (phenol) (formaldehyde) resin 0.5%, and cellulose (rope fiber) 0.5%. The larger groups are buoyant with a specific gravity less than that of seawater. These small plastic particles are formed from the breakdown of larger particles (fragments). Their origin seems to be from the breakdown of user plastics washed ashore and ground down on cobbled beaches.

Certainly most particles (70%) had attained their final form by active abrasion. It is hypothesized that the plastic particles were washed out to sea and then selected by size and consumed by individuals of a pelagic fish species, Electrona subaspera, who in turn were consumed by the fur seals. Thus, the particles were accumulated both by the fish and the seals in the usual process of their feeding.

The download file contains a pdf of the paper listed in the reference section below, as well as 48 scanning electron micrograph images of plastics recovered from fur seal scats.

Identification info

Alternate title: Origins and Biological Accumulation of Small Plastic Particles in Fur Seals From Macquarie Island

Date (Publication): 2004-03-30

Edition: 1

Citation identifier

Dataset DOI

Title: Information and documentation - Digital object identifier system

Date (Publication): 2012-04-23

Citation identifier: ISO 26324:2012

Citation identifier: doi:10.26179/5c9c01897ed60

Originator

Burton, H. and Eriksson, C.

Publisher

Australian Antarctic Data Centre

Principal investigator

BURTON, HARRY

Australian Antarctic Division

203 Channel Highway

Kingston

Tasmania

7050

Australia

Principal investigator

ERIKSSON, CECILIA

1 Mary Street,

Hobart

Tasmania

7000

Australia

Collaborator

BURTON, HARRY

Australian Antarctic Division

203 Channel Highway

Kingston

Tasmania

7050

Australia

Collaborator

ERIKSSON, CECILIA

1 Mary Street,

Hobart

Tasmania

7000

Australia

Name: CAASM Metadata

Website: https://data.aad.gov.au/metadata/records/plastics_fur_seals

Status: Completed

Custodian

AU/AADC > Australian Antarctic Data Centre, Australia - AADC, DATA OFFICER (DATA CENTER CONTACT)

Australian Antarctic Division

203 Channel Highway

Kingston

Tasmania

7050

Australia

+61 3 6232 3244

+61 3 6232 3351 (facsimile)

Topic category

Biota
Environment
Oceans

Extent

Description: Temporal Coverage

Temporal extent

TimePeriod: 1990-10-01 1991-03-31

Extent

Description: Temporal Coverage

Temporal extent

TimePeriod: 1996-10-01 1997-03-31

Title: Origins and Biological Accumulation of Small Plastic Particles in Fur Seals From Macquarie Island

Date (Publication): 2003

Citation identifier: 32

Author

Eriksson, C. and Burton, H.

Name: Ambio

Issue identification: 6

Page: 380-384