Surface Water Microplastics in the St. Lawrence River and Estuary in Canada.

ABSTRACT: Microplastics (MPs) are synthetic or semisynthetic polymers that are widely distributed throughout most ecosystems and have the potential to be harmful to living organisms. In this study, we assessed the MP fraction in the top 40 cm of surface water in response to varying salinity levels at 11 distinct sites across the St. Lawrence River and Estuary (SLRE). We employed two sampling nets of different mesh size to collect MPs (100 and 300 µm). These nets were simultaneously towed in parallel from a vessel during three separate sampling events at each designated site. Filtrates collected from these samples underwent analysis of plastic fibers, fragments and spheres utilizing Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR). Data unequivocally confirmed the presence of MPs at 100% of the sites s

SUBMITTER: Langlois VS 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12036840 | biostudies-literature | 2025

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature