Dataset Overview | National Centers for Environmental Information (NCEI)

Microplastics abundance in surface waters from the Northwest Pacific, the Bering Sea, and the Chukchi Sea from 2017-07-28 to 2017-10-01 (NCEI Accession 0259525)

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This study estimated the load of surface microplastics (i.e. plastics less than 5mm, reported in unit of pieces/m^3) in the surface waters from the Northwest Pacific, the Bering Sea, and the Chukchi Sea from 2017-07-28 to 2017-10-01. Microplastics data were collected using manta net aboard R/V Xuelong. This dataset contains the results from all 13 surface net tows, in a spreadsheet format. Tows were conducted for 20 min at an average cruising speed of 3 knots.

Dataset Citation

Cite as: Mu, Jingli; Zhang, Shoufeng; Qu, Ling; Jin, Fei; Fang, Chao; Ma, Xindong; Zhang, Weiwei; Wang, Juying (2022). Microplastics abundance in surface waters from the Northwest Pacific, the Bering Sea, and the Chukchi Sea from 2017-07-28 to 2017-10-01 (NCEI Accession 0259525). [indicate subset used]. NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information. Dataset. https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/archive/accession/0259525. Accessed [date].

Dataset Identifiers

ISO 19115-2 Metadata

gov.noaa.nodc:0259525

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Download Data	HTTPS (download) Navigate directly to the URL for data access and direct download. FTP (download) These data are available through the File Transfer Protocol (FTP). FTP is no longer supported by most internet browsers. You may copy and paste the FTP link to the data into an FTP client (e.g., FileZilla or WinSCP).
Distribution Formats	Excel
Ordering Instructions	Contact NCEI for other distribution options and instructions.
Distributor	NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information +1-301-713-3277 NCEI.Info@noaa.gov
Dataset Point of Contact	NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information ncei.info@noaa.gov

Time Period	2017-07-28 to 2017-10-01
Spatial Bounding Box Coordinates	West: 149.59 East: -151.12 South: 40.32 North: 78.12
Spatial Coverage Map

General Documentation

NCEI Dataset Landing Page
Navigate directly to the URL for a descriptive web page with download links.
Descriptive Information
Navigate directly to the URL for a descriptive web page with download links.

Associated Resources

The NOAA NCEI Global Marine Microplastics Database (1972-present)
- NCEI Collection
  Navigate directly to the URL for data access and direct download.
Microplastics abundance and characteristics in surface waters from the Northwest Pacific, the Bering Sea, and the Chukchi Sea
- https://doi.org/10.1016/j.marpolbul.2019.04.023
  journal article

gov.noaa.nodc:NCEI-Marine-Microplastics

Publication Dates	publication: 2022-09-27
Data Presentation Form	Digital table - digital representation of facts or figures systematically displayed, especially in columns
Dataset Progress Status	Complete - production of the data has been completed Historical archive - data has been stored in an offline storage facility
Data Update Frequency	As needed
Supplemental Information	Submission Package ID: TGPMFR
Purpose	These data were collected in order to determine surface microplastics concentrations from the Northwest Pacific, the Bering Sea, and the Chukchi Sea.
Use Limitations	accessLevel: Public Distribution liability: NOAA and NCEI make no warranty, expressed or implied, regarding these data, nor does the fact of distribution constitute such a warranty. NOAA and NCEI cannot assume liability for any damages caused by any errors or omissions in these data. If appropriate, NCEI can only certify that the data it distributes are an authentic copy of the records that were accepted for inclusion in the NCEI archives.

Dataset Citation	Cite as: Mu, Jingli; Zhang, Shoufeng; Qu, Ling; Jin, Fei; Fang, Chao; Ma, Xindong; Zhang, Weiwei; Wang, Juying (2022). Microplastics abundance in surface waters from the Northwest Pacific, the Bering Sea, and the Chukchi Sea from 2017-07-28 to 2017-10-01 (NCEI Accession 0259525). [indicate subset used]. NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information. Dataset. https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/archive/accession/0259525. Accessed [date].
Cited Authors	Mu, Jingli Institute of Oceanography, Minjiang University Zhang, Shoufeng Key Laboratory for Ecological Environment in Coastal Areas, State Oceanic Administration Qu, Ling Key Laboratory for Ecological Environment in Coastal Areas, State Oceanic Administration Jin, Fei Key Laboratory for Ecological Environment in Coastal Areas, State Oceanic Administration Fang, Chao Laboratory of Marine Biology and Ecology, Third Institute of Oceanography, State Oceanic Administration Ma, Xindong Key Laboratory for Ecological Environment in Coastal Areas, State Oceanic Administration Zhang, Weiwei Key Laboratory for Ecological Environment in Coastal Areas, State Oceanic Administration Wang, Juying Key Laboratory for Ecological Environment in Coastal Areas, State Oceanic Administration
Resource Providers	Jingli Mu Minjiang University Minjiang University
Points of Contact	Ebenezer Nyadjro Mississippi State University (MSU)
Publishers	NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information
Acknowledgments	Related Funding Agency: National Key Research and Development Program # 2016YFC1402201 Related Funding Agency: National Natural Science Foundation of China # 41776118 and 41476096.

Theme keywords	NODC DATA TYPES THESAURUS microplastic concentration NODC OBSERVATION TYPES THESAURUS in situ WMO_CategoryCode oceanography Global Change Master Directory (GCMD) Science Keywords EARTH SCIENCE > OCEANS > WATER QUALITY > SEA SURFACE CONTAMINANTS > MICROPLASTIC CONCENTRATION
Data Center keywords	NODC SUBMITTING INSTITUTION NAMES THESAURUS Minjiang University
Platform keywords	Provider Platform Names R/V Xuelong
Instrument keywords	NODC INSTRUMENT TYPES THESAURUS Manta net Global Change Master Directory (GCMD) Instrument Keywords NETS > NETS Provider Instruments Manta net
Place keywords	NODC SEA AREA NAMES THESAURUS Arctic Ocean Bering Sea Chukchi Sea North Pacific Ocean Global Change Master Directory (GCMD) Location Keywords OCEAN > ARCTIC OCEAN OCEAN > ARCTIC OCEAN > CHUKCHI SEA OCEAN > PACIFIC OCEAN > NORTH PACIFIC OCEAN OCEAN > PACIFIC OCEAN > NORTH PACIFIC OCEAN > BERING SEA Provider Place Names Northwest Pacific
Keywords	NCEI ACCESSION NUMBER 0259525

Use Constraints	Cite as: Mu, Jingli; Zhang, Shoufeng; Qu, Ling; Jin, Fei; Fang, Chao; Ma, Xindong; Zhang, Weiwei; Wang, Juying (2022). Microplastics abundance in surface waters from the Northwest Pacific, the Bering Sea, and the Chukchi Sea from 2017-07-28 to 2017-10-01 (NCEI Accession 0259525). [indicate subset used]. NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information. Dataset. https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/archive/accession/0259525. Accessed [date].
Access Constraints	Use liability: NOAA and NCEI cannot provide any warranty as to the accuracy, reliability, or completeness of furnished data. Users assume responsibility to determine the usability of these data. The user is responsible for the results of any application of this data for other than its intended purpose.
Fees	In most cases, electronic downloads of the data are free. However, fees may apply for custom orders, data certifications, copies of analog materials, and data distribution on physical media.

Lineage information for: dataset
Processing Steps	2022-09-27T15:28:47Z - NCEI Accession 0259525 v1.1 was published.
Output Datasets	NCEI Accession 0259525 v1.1 NCEI Accession 0259525 v1.1 (download) published 2022-09-27T15:28:47Z

Lineage information for: dataset
Processing Steps	Parameter or Variable: MICROPLASTIC CONCENTRATION (measured); Units: pieces/m3; Observation Category: in situ; Sampling Instrument: Manta net; Sampling and Analyzing Method: Samples were collected onboard the icebreaker R/V Xuelong from July to October of 2017 during the 8th Chinese National Arctic Research Expedition. Surface samples were collected using a Manta net (0.95m wide × 0.45m height, 330 μm mesh, 3m long). The net was released from the stern of the vessel and towed horizontally on the surface for 20 min at approximately 3.0 knots. To minimize the influence of vessel movement, the distance between the net and the stern of the vessel was maintained at >200 m. A calibrated flow meter (Hydrobios 438110, Hydrobios Inc., Germany) was fixed in the middle of the trawl frame to allow for the calculation of the amount of water filtered. At the end of the trawl, the cod-end was removed and taken to the laboratory, where it was rinsed using distilled water. Each sample was transferred into a 250 mL collecting jar and stored in formalin (4% final concentration) until analysis. For sample preparation, each sample was poured through a 0.3mm stainless steel mesh sieve and then transferred to a pre-weighed 500 mL glass beaker, in which the sample was oven-dried at 60 °C for approximately 24 h. To remove the natural material mixed into the sample, an aliquot of 20 mL of digestion solution, which contained a 0.05M Fe(II) solution and 30% hydrogen peroxide (H2O2), was added to the beaker containing the collected solids. The mixtures were heated at 60 °C and gently stirred for 30 min. If the natural organic material was still visible, additional H2O2 was added and heating was repeated as necessary. After rinsing with distilled water to remove residual H2O2, the sieved contents were rinsed using a hypersaline solution (300 g/L NaCl in distilled water) into glass funnels. After completion of the material separation, settled items were dried in 50 mL beakers, transferred to glass Petri dishes, and visually examined using a dissecting microscope at 8× magnification (SZ51, Olympus Inc., Japan). The remaining mixed solution was filtered through GF/C (0.7 μm, 47mm diameter) filters. Each filter paper was placed into a clean glass Petri dish, covered and stored in a freezer (−20 °C) until further analysis. All particles were examined under a light stereomicroscope (M205FA, Leica Inc., Germany) and identified visually by their color and shape. Each particle was analyzed using a Fourier transform infra-red spectroscope equipped with a microscopy (μFTIR) (IN10 MX, Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc., USA). The spectral resolution of the spectrometer was ~8 cm−1.; Data Quality Method: Before trawling began, the net was flushed from the outside with natural seawater onsite, and the water in the cod-end was collected as a field blank sample. In the laboratory, the method blanks and air contamination checks were conducted to determine whether there was any contamination during laboratory analyses. The precision and accuracy of the analytical methods were also verified by spiking particles with known amounts of polypropylene (PP) and polyethylene (PE) plastics. To determine whether there was any airborne contamination in the laboratory, clean petri dishes with filter papers were left exposed to the air during water filtration. Distilled water was passed through clean GF/C (0.7 μm, 47mm diameter) filter paper to determine potential contamination from the water in contact with the sample. Standard non-plastic equipment was used wherever possible. All apparatuses were washed with distilled water prior to use, and equipment was inspected under a dissecting microscope..

Lineage information for: dataset

Processing Steps

Parameter or Variable: MICROPLASTIC CONCENTRATION (measured); Units: pieces/m3; Observation Category: in situ; Sampling Instrument: Manta net; Sampling and Analyzing Method: Samples were collected onboard the icebreaker R/V Xuelong from July to October of 2017 during the 8th Chinese National Arctic Research Expedition. Surface samples were collected using a Manta net (0.95m wide × 0.45m height, 330 μm mesh, 3m long). The net was released from the stern of the vessel and towed horizontally on the surface for 20 min at approximately 3.0 knots. To minimize the influence of vessel movement, the distance between the net and the stern of the vessel was maintained at >200 m. A calibrated flow meter (Hydrobios 438110, Hydrobios Inc., Germany) was fixed in the middle of the trawl frame to allow for the calculation of the amount of water filtered. At the end of the trawl, the cod-end was removed and taken to the laboratory, where it was rinsed using distilled water. Each sample was transferred into a 250 mL collecting jar and stored in formalin (4% final concentration) until analysis. For sample preparation, each sample was poured through a 0.3mm stainless steel mesh sieve and then transferred to a pre-weighed 500 mL glass beaker, in which the sample was oven-dried at 60 °C for approximately 24 h. To remove the natural material mixed into the sample, an aliquot of 20 mL of digestion solution, which contained a 0.05M Fe(II) solution and 30% hydrogen peroxide (H2O2), was added to the beaker containing the collected solids. The mixtures were heated at 60 °C and gently stirred for 30 min. If the natural organic material was still visible, additional H2O2 was added and heating was repeated as necessary. After rinsing with distilled water to remove residual H2O2, the sieved contents were rinsed using a hypersaline solution (300 g/L NaCl in distilled water) into glass funnels. After completion of the material separation, settled items were dried in 50 mL beakers, transferred to glass Petri dishes, and visually examined using a dissecting microscope at 8× magnification (SZ51, Olympus Inc., Japan). The remaining mixed solution was filtered through GF/C (0.7 μm, 47mm diameter) filters. Each filter paper was placed into a clean glass Petri dish, covered and stored in a freezer (−20 °C) until further analysis. All particles were examined under a light stereomicroscope (M205FA, Leica Inc., Germany) and identified visually by their color and shape. Each particle was analyzed using a Fourier transform infra-red spectroscope equipped with a microscopy (μFTIR) (IN10 MX, Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc., USA). The spectral resolution of the spectrometer was ~8 cm−1.; Data Quality Method: Before trawling began, the net was flushed from the outside with natural seawater onsite, and the water in the cod-end was collected as a field blank sample. In the laboratory, the method blanks and air contamination checks were conducted to determine whether there was any contamination during laboratory analyses. The precision and accuracy of the analytical methods were also verified by spiking particles with known amounts of polypropylene (PP) and polyethylene (PE) plastics. To determine whether there was any airborne contamination in the laboratory, clean petri dishes with filter papers were left exposed to the air during water filtration. Distilled water was passed through clean GF/C (0.7 μm, 47mm diameter) filter paper to determine potential contamination from the water in contact with the sample. Standard non-plastic equipment was used wherever possible. All apparatuses were washed with distilled water prior to use, and equipment was inspected under a dissecting microscope..

Acquisition Information (collection)
Instrument	Manta net

Last Modified: 2023-08-07T14:30:37Z
For questions about the information on this page, please email: ncei.info@noaa.gov

Microplastics abundance in surface waters from the Northwest Pacific, the Bering Sea, and the Chukchi Sea from 2017-07-28 to 2017-10-01 (NCEI Accession 0259525)

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