Biology, Acadia University, 15 University Avenue, Wolfville, Nova Scotia B4P 2R6, Canada.
Biology, Acadia University, 15 University Avenue, Wolfville, Nova Scotia B4P 2R6, Canada.
Sci Total Environ. 2021 Aug 20;783:146971. doi: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2021.146971. Epub 2021 Apr 7.
Despite much interest and research into marine litter (including plastic debris) on beaches globally, relatively little is known about the density and distribution of this pollutant in Arctic environments, particularly Arctic Canada and West Greenland. We used two sources of data, observations of floating litter from vessels at sea, and quadrat surveys of litter on low slope beaches, to establish the first measures of anthropogenic litter densities in this region. Most litter observed (73%) was plastic, predominantly fragments, threads and sheets, with a mean density of 1.0 ± 1.7 (SD) items·m along sandy/gravel beaches (median 1), and items were observed on the ocean surface as far as 78°N. Litter densities were significantly greater for sites within 5 km of communities, and much of the litter near remote communities was clearly from local sources. However, contrary to our predictions, we did not find that litter densities decreased with increasing latitude. Collectively, our results confirm that this global pollutant is distributed around much of this portion of the Arctic, and that better waste management strategies in a number of sectors may help reduce its occurrence in this remote region.
尽管人们对全球海滩上的海洋垃圾（包括塑料碎片）产生了浓厚的兴趣并进行了大量研究，但对北极地区，特别是加拿大北极地区和西格林兰的这种污染物的密度和分布情况却知之甚少。我们利用两种数据源，即船只在海上观测到的漂浮垃圾和低坡度海滩上的垃圾方格调查，来确定该地区人为垃圾密度的首批测量值。观测到的大多数垃圾（73%）是塑料，主要是碎片、线和片，在沙质/砾石海滩上的平均密度为 1.0 ± 1.7（SD）项·m（中位数为 1），在 78°N 的海洋表面也观察到了垃圾。在距离社区 5 公里以内的地方，垃圾密度明显更高，而在偏远社区附近的大部分垃圾显然来自当地来源。然而，与我们的预测相反，我们没有发现垃圾密度随纬度的增加而降低。总的来说，我们的研究结果证实，这种全球污染物在北极地区的很大一部分地区都有分布，在多个领域采取更好的废物管理策略可能有助于减少这种污染物在这个偏远地区的出现。
