Dataset Overview | National Centers for Environmental Information (NCEI)

Microplastics concentration along a latitudinal gradient in the Atlantic Ocean collected aboard RV Polarstern from 2015-11-01 to 2015-11-28 (NCEI Accession 0270542)

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This study was carried out to estimate the microplastics (i.e. plastics measuring less than 5mm, reported in unit of pieces/m^3) concentration along a latitudinal gradient in the Atlantic Ocean. Microplastics data was collected from 2015-11-01 to 2015-11-28 aboard RV Polarstern. Ocean water was pumped onboard the vessel via the bow water system to collect microplastics samples. This dataset contains the results from all 76 sampling stations, in a spreadsheet format.

Dataset Citation

Cite as: Kanhai, La Daana; Officer, Rick; Lyashevska, Olga; Thompson, Richard; O'Connor, Ian (2022). Microplastics concentration along a latitudinal gradient in the Atlantic Ocean collected aboard RV Polarstern from 2015-11-01 to 2015-11-28 (NCEI Accession 0270542). [indicate subset used]. NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information. Dataset. https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/archive/accession/0270542. Accessed [date].

Dataset Identifiers

ISO 19115-2 Metadata

gov.noaa.nodc:0270542

Full Text · XML

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	2015-11-01 to 2015-11-28
Spatial Bounding Box Coordinates	West: -24.11366128 East: 9.11734963 South: -24.90948678 North: 48.96624819
Spatial Coverage Map

General Documentation

NCEI Dataset Landing Page
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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.
Kanhai LDK, Officer R, Lyashevska O, Thompson RC, O'Connor I. Microplastic abundance, distribution and composition along a latitudinal gradient in the Atlantic Ocean. Marine Pollution Bulletin. 2017 Feb 15;115:307-314
- https://doi.org/10.1016/j.marpolbul.2016.12.025
  journal article

gov.noaa.nodc:NCEI-Marine-Microplastics

Publication Dates	publication: 2022-11-29
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: 6D80CE
Purpose	These data were collected in order to determine the microplastics concentrations along a latitudinal gradient in the Atlantic Ocean.
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: Kanhai, La Daana; Officer, Rick; Lyashevska, Olga; Thompson, Richard; O'Connor, Ian (2022). Microplastics concentration along a latitudinal gradient in the Atlantic Ocean collected aboard RV Polarstern from 2015-11-01 to 2015-11-28 (NCEI Accession 0270542). [indicate subset used]. NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information. Dataset. https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/archive/accession/0270542. Accessed [date].
Cited Authors	Kanhai, La Daana Marine and Freshwater Research Centre, Galway Mayo Institute of Technology Officer, Rick Marine and Freshwater Research Centre, Galway Mayo Institute of Technology Lyashevska, Olga Marine and Freshwater Research Centre, Galway Mayo Institute of Technology Thompson, Richard University of Plymouth O'Connor, Ian Marine and Freshwater Research Centre, Galway Mayo Institute of Technology
Contributors	Atlantic Technological University (ATU)
Resource Providers	La Daana Kanhai Atlantic Technological University (ATU) Atlantic Technological University (ATU)
Points of Contact	Ebenezer Nyadjro Mississippi State University (MSU)
Publishers	NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information
Acknowledgments	Related Funding Agency: Alfred Wegener Institute (AWI), Germany [Project Number: AWI_PS95_00] Related Funding Agency: Nippon Foundation/POGO

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 COLLECTING INSTITUTION NAMES THESAURUS Atlantic Technological University NODC SUBMITTING INSTITUTION NAMES THESAURUS Atlantic Technological University
Platform keywords	NODC PLATFORM NAMES THESAURUS RV Polarstern Global Change Master Directory (GCMD) Platform Keywords Ships ICES/SeaDataNet Ship Codes Polarstern (call sign: DBLK, ICES code: 06AQ, 1982) Provider Platform Names RV Polarstern
Instrument keywords	NODC INSTRUMENT TYPES THESAURUS pump sampler Provider Instruments Water pump
Place keywords	NODC SEA AREA NAMES THESAURUS Bay of Biscay North Atlantic Ocean South Atlantic Ocean Global Change Master Directory (GCMD) Location Keywords OCEAN > ATLANTIC OCEAN > NORTH ATLANTIC OCEAN OCEAN > ATLANTIC OCEAN > SOUTH ATLANTIC OCEAN Provider Place Names Atlantic Ocean
Keywords	NCEI ACCESSION NUMBER 0270542

Use Constraints	Cite as: Kanhai, La Daana; Officer, Rick; Lyashevska, Olga; Thompson, Richard; O'Connor, Ian (2022). Microplastics concentration along a latitudinal gradient in the Atlantic Ocean collected aboard RV Polarstern from 2015-11-01 to 2015-11-28 (NCEI Accession 0270542). [indicate subset used]. NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information. Dataset. https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/archive/accession/0270542. 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	2022-11-29T17:03:59Z - NCEI Accession 0270542 v1.1 was published.
Output Datasets	NCEI Accession 0270542 v1.1 NCEI Accession 0270542 v1.1 (download) published 2022-11-29T17:03:59Z

Lineage information for: dataset
Processing Steps	Parameter or Variable: MICROPLASTIC CONCENTRATION (measured); Units: pieces/m3; Observation Category: in situ; Sampling Instrument: Water pump; Sampling and Analyzing Method: This study was conducted onboard the RV Polarstern and covered 7345 nautical miles (13,603 km) between Bremerhaven, Germany and Cape Town, South Africa. Sub-surface oceanic waters pumped onboard the vessel via the underway system were sampled for microplastics. Sampling was conducted during November 2015 (1st to 28th) at vessel speeds of between 8 and 13 knots. Since each sample constituted the filtration of 2000 L of water, the survey effort for this study was 152,000 L of water (76 samples). Seawater from a continuous intake located at the keel of the ship (depth 11 m) was pumped onboard the vessel using a Klaus Union Sealex Centrifugal Pump (Bochum, Germany) at a flow rate of 25 m3/h and transported to the laboratory via stainless steel pipes. Prior to reaching the laboratory, the seawater passed through a primary filter (pore size 2mm) to remove large debris items. The inclusion of this primary filter was standard operating procedure onboard the vessel and thus was beyond the control of the investigator. Potential contamination of the seawater intake by waste water generated onboard did not occur since grey water from the vessel was stored onboard for subsequent treatment. In the laboratory, seawater from the vessel's underway system was allowed to flow through a covered stainless-steel sieve (250 μm) by means of a connection hose fitted into a wooden sieve cover. For the duration of the sampling, the stainless-steel sieve was supported in a wooden stand. For each sample, 2000 L of water was filtered. The length of time taken for the filtration of the specified volume of water was determined by calculation of the flow rate of the seawater. Once the specified volume of water was filtered, the sieve was removed and distilled water used to wash retained material from the sieve into a clean container. The collected material was then filtered under vacuum onto glass microfiber paper (GF/C); Whatman: 47 mm, pore size: 1.2 μm, using a Buchner funnel and a vacuum flask. Each filter paper was then placed into a clean petri dish, covered and stored in a freezer (−20 °C) until returned to the laboratory. At the start and at the end of each sample, positioning data were collected. In the laboratory, filter papers were removed from the freezer, left to dry and then visually examined under a dissecting microscope (Olympus SZX10) equipped with a polarizer and camera (Q Imaging Retiga 2000R). Potential microplastics were isolated and processed (photographed and length measurements taken) prior to transferring to a clean filter paper in a labelled petri dish. All potential microplastics were analyzed by Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy on a Thermo Scientific Nicolet iN10 FT-IR spectrometer.; Data Quality Method: In order to confirm the polymeric nature, the samples were analyzed by Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy on a Bruker Vertex 70 Infrared Spectrometer coupled to a Hyperion 1000 microscope. The instrument was equipped with a potassium bromide (KBr) beam splitter and an internal mercury cadmium telluride (MCT) detector. Microscope-transmission sampling was performed using a Specac DC-2 Diamond Compression cell. Spectra were recorded as the average of 32 scans in the spectral wave number range of 4000–600 cm−1 at a resolution of 4 cm−1 (Blackman-Harris 3-term apodisation). Bruker's Opus 7.5 spectroscopy software was used for processing and evaluating all spectra. Prior to analyzing each sample, background scans were performed and sample spectra were automatically corrected. Samples which produced spectra with a match <60% were automatically rejected while those with a match of >70% were automatically accepted. All spectra with matches >60% were individually examined to ensure that there was clear evidence of peaks from the sample corresponding to known peaks of standard polymers and that instances of the misidentification of natural and semi-synthetic polymers was reduced..

Lineage information for: dataset

Processing Steps

Parameter or Variable: MICROPLASTIC CONCENTRATION (measured); Units: pieces/m3; Observation Category: in situ; Sampling Instrument: Water pump; Sampling and Analyzing Method: This study was conducted onboard the RV Polarstern and covered 7345 nautical miles (13,603 km) between Bremerhaven, Germany and Cape Town, South Africa. Sub-surface oceanic waters pumped onboard the vessel via the underway system were sampled for microplastics. Sampling was conducted during November 2015 (1st to 28th) at vessel speeds of between 8 and 13 knots. Since each sample constituted the filtration of 2000 L of water, the survey effort for this study was 152,000 L of water (76 samples). Seawater from a continuous intake located at the keel of the ship (depth 11 m) was pumped onboard the vessel using a Klaus Union Sealex Centrifugal Pump (Bochum, Germany) at a flow rate of 25 m3/h and transported to the laboratory via stainless steel pipes. Prior to reaching the laboratory, the seawater passed through a primary filter (pore size 2mm) to remove large debris items. The inclusion of this primary filter was standard operating procedure onboard the vessel and thus was beyond the control of the investigator. Potential contamination of the seawater intake by waste water generated onboard did not occur since grey water from the vessel was stored onboard for subsequent treatment. In the laboratory, seawater from the vessel's underway system was allowed to flow through a covered stainless-steel sieve (250 μm) by means of a connection hose fitted into a wooden sieve cover. For the duration of the sampling, the stainless-steel sieve was supported in a wooden stand. For each sample, 2000 L of water was filtered. The length of time taken for the filtration of the specified volume of water was determined by calculation of the flow rate of the seawater. Once the specified volume of water was filtered, the sieve was removed and distilled water used to wash retained material from the sieve into a clean container. The collected material was then filtered under vacuum onto glass microfiber paper (GF/C); Whatman: 47 mm, pore size: 1.2 μm, using a Buchner funnel and a vacuum flask. Each filter paper was then placed into a clean petri dish, covered and stored in a freezer (−20 °C) until returned to the laboratory. At the start and at the end of each sample, positioning data were collected. In the laboratory, filter papers were removed from the freezer, left to dry and then visually examined under a dissecting microscope (Olympus SZX10) equipped with a polarizer and camera (Q Imaging Retiga 2000R). Potential microplastics were isolated and processed (photographed and length measurements taken) prior to transferring to a clean filter paper in a labelled petri dish. All potential microplastics were analyzed by Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy on a Thermo Scientific Nicolet iN10 FT-IR spectrometer.; Data Quality Method: In order to confirm the polymeric nature, the samples were analyzed by Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy on a Bruker Vertex 70 Infrared Spectrometer coupled to a Hyperion 1000 microscope. The instrument was equipped with a potassium bromide (KBr) beam splitter and an internal mercury cadmium telluride (MCT) detector. Microscope-transmission sampling was performed using a Specac DC-2 Diamond Compression cell. Spectra were recorded as the average of 32 scans in the spectral wave number range of 4000–600 cm−1 at a resolution of 4 cm−1 (Blackman-Harris 3-term apodisation). Bruker's Opus 7.5 spectroscopy software was used for processing and evaluating all spectra. Prior to analyzing each sample, background scans were performed and sample spectra were automatically corrected. Samples which produced spectra with a match <60% were automatically rejected while those with a match of >70% were automatically accepted. All spectra with matches >60% were individually examined to ensure that there was clear evidence of peaks from the sample corresponding to known peaks of standard polymers and that instances of the misidentification of natural and semi-synthetic polymers was reduced..

Acquisition Information (collection)
Instrument	pump sampler
Platform	RV Polarstern

Last Modified: 2023-03-15T01:15:53Z
For questions about the information on this page, please email: ncei.info@noaa.gov

Microplastics concentration along a latitudinal gradient in the Atlantic Ocean collected aboard RV Polarstern from 2015-11-01 to 2015-11-28 (NCEI Accession 0270542)

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