Wu Xiao-Nan, Feng Jing-Chun, Chen Xiao, Li Can-Rong, Zhang Si
School of Ecology, Environment and Resources, Guangdong University of Technology, Guangzhou 510006, China; Research Centre of Ecology & Environment for Coastal Area and Deep Sea, Southern Marine Science and Engineering Guangdong Laboratory (Guangzhou), Guangzhou 511458, China; Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Water Quality Improvement and Ecological Restoration for Watersheds, Guangzhou 510006, China.
School of Ecology, Environment and Resources, Guangdong University of Technology, Guangzhou 510006, China; Research Centre of Ecology & Environment for Coastal Area and Deep Sea, Southern Marine Science and Engineering Guangdong Laboratory (Guangzhou), Guangzhou 511458, China; Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Water Quality Improvement and Ecological Restoration for Watersheds, Guangzhou 510006, China.
J Hazard Mater. 2024 Jan 15;462:132742. doi: 10.1016/j.jhazmat.2023.132742. Epub 2023 Oct 8.
In the decades since plastic has become widely used, deep-sea areas, specifically cold seeps, have developed into plastic sinks. Cold seeps contain clean energy natural gas hydrates and act as a barrier reducing methane migration to the upper water column. However, the impacts of microplastics (MPs) on the carbon content in the cold seep remain unclear. In this study, we explored spatial changes in the MPs' carbon content (MPC) selecting the Haima cold seep (HCS) as the study area. The main conclusions are as follows: (1) For active seepage areas, the mass abundance of the MPs increases with the methane seepage strength in all water columns and sediment of strong seepage areas. It decreases with the seepage strength in the sediment cores in other areas. (2)The MPC is positively correlated with the depth of the water column in the non-seepage area, while it is negatively correlated in the sediment core. (3) The surface roughness of the MPs was greater in the middle of the water column and the sediment core at ROV1. In the high-pressure and oligotrophic cold seep, the amount and method of microbial utilization of carbon from the MPs deserve greater attention.
自塑料被广泛使用的几十年来，深海区域，特别是冷泉，已发展成为塑料汇集地。冷泉含有清洁能源天然气水合物，并作为一种屏障减少甲烷向上水柱的迁移。然而，微塑料（MPs）对冷泉中碳含量的影响仍不清楚。在本研究中，我们选择海马冷泉（HCS）作为研究区域，探索了微塑料碳含量（MPC）的空间变化。主要结论如下：（1）对于活跃渗漏区域，在所有水柱和强渗漏区域的沉积物中，微塑料的质量丰度随甲烷渗漏强度增加。在其他区域的沉积物岩心中，它随渗漏强度降低。（2）在非渗漏区域，微塑料碳含量与水柱深度呈正相关，而在沉积物岩心中呈负相关。（3）在ROV1处，水柱中部和沉积物岩心中微塑料的表面粗糙度更大。在高压和贫营养冷泉中，微生物利用微塑料中碳的数量和方式值得更多关注。
