Dataset Overview | National Centers for Environmental Information (NCEI)

Microplastics concentrations in subtidal sediments from the Sado River estuary and the Arrábida marine park, Portugal collected from 2018-08-22 to 2019-02-27 (NCEI Accession 0279326)

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This study estimated the concentration of microplastics (i.e. plastics measuring less than 5mm; reported in unit of items/kg d.w) in subtidal sediments from the Sado River estuary and the Arrábida marine park, Portugal collected from 2018-08-22 to 2019-02-27. Microplastics were collected using a petite Ponar benthic grab. This dataset contains the results from all 36 sediment samples, in a spreadsheet format.

Dataset Citation

Cite as: Rodrigues, Diana; Antunes, Joana; Pais, Joana; Pequeno, João; Caetano, Paulo Sá; Rocha, Fernando; Sobral, Paula; Costa, Maria Helena (2023). Microplastics concentrations in subtidal sediments from the Sado River estuary and the Arrábida marine park, Portugal collected from 2018-08-22 to 2019-02-27 (NCEI Accession 0279326). [indicate subset used]. NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information. Dataset. https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/archive/accession/0279326. Accessed [date].

Dataset Identifiers

ISO 19115-2 Metadata

gov.noaa.nodc:0279326

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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	2018-08-22 to 2019-02-27
Spatial Bounding Box Coordinates	West: -9.14605 East: -8.89348 South: 38.42905 North: 38.5197
Spatial Coverage Map

General Documentation

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Descriptive Information
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Associated Resources

The NOAA NCEI Global Marine Microplastics Database (1972-present)
- NCEI Collection
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Rodrigues D, Antunes J, Pais J, Pequeno J, Caetano PS, Rocha F, Sobral P, Costa MH. Distribution patterns of microplastics in subtidal sediments from the Sado river estuary and the Arrábida marine park, Portugal. Frontiers in Environmental Science. 2022 Sep 20; 10, 998513
- https://doi.org/10.3389/fenvs.2022.998513
  journal article

gov.noaa.nodc:NCEI-Marine-Microplastics

Publication Dates	publication: 2023-06-23
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: A6C6B1
Purpose	These microplastic concentration data were collected in order to determine their abundance in subtidal sediments from the Sado River estuary and the Arrábida marine park, Portugal during 2018-08-22 to 2019-02-27
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: Rodrigues, Diana; Antunes, Joana; Pais, Joana; Pequeno, João; Caetano, Paulo Sá; Rocha, Fernando; Sobral, Paula; Costa, Maria Helena (2023). Microplastics concentrations in subtidal sediments from the Sado River estuary and the Arrábida marine park, Portugal collected from 2018-08-22 to 2019-02-27 (NCEI Accession 0279326). [indicate subset used]. NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information. Dataset. https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/archive/accession/0279326. Accessed [date].
Cited Authors	Rodrigues, Diana NOVA University Lisbon Antunes, Joana Pais, Joana Pequeno, João Caetano, Paulo Sá Rocha, Fernando Sobral, Paula Costa, Maria Helena
Contributors	NOVA University Lisbon
Resource Providers	Diana Rodrigues NOVA University Lisbon NOVA University Lisbon
Points of Contact	Ebenezer Nyadjro Mississippi State University; Northern Gulf Institute (NGI)
Publishers	NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information
Acknowledgments	Related Funding Agency: National Geographic Society Early Career Grant (EC-397R-18) Related Funding Agency: Foundation for Science and the Technology (JPIOCEANS/0001/2015) Related Funding Agency: Universidade Nova de Lisboa, Caparica, PhD grant (SFRH/BD/130652/2017)

Theme keywords	NODC DATA TYPES THESAURUS microplastic concentration NODC OBSERVATION TYPES THESAURUS in situ laboratory analyses 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 NOVA University Lisbon NODC SUBMITTING INSTITUTION NAMES THESAURUS NOVA University Lisbon
Instrument keywords	NODC INSTRUMENT TYPES THESAURUS Fourier-transform infrared (FTIR) spectrometer microscope sediment sampler - grab Global Change Master Directory (GCMD) Instrument Keywords FTIR SPECTROMETER > Fourier Transform Infrared Spectrometer GRAB SAMPLERS MICROSCOPES > MICROSCOPES Provider Instruments Petite Ponar benthic grab
Place keywords	NODC SEA AREA NAMES THESAURUS Northeast Atlantic Ocean (limit-40 W) Global Change Master Directory (GCMD) Location Keywords OCEAN > ATLANTIC OCEAN > NORTH ATLANTIC OCEAN Provider Place Names Atlantic Ocean
Keywords	NCEI ACCESSION NUMBER 0279326

Use Constraints	Cite as: Rodrigues, Diana; Antunes, Joana; Pais, Joana; Pequeno, João; Caetano, Paulo Sá; Rocha, Fernando; Sobral, Paula; Costa, Maria Helena (2023). Microplastics concentrations in subtidal sediments from the Sado River estuary and the Arrábida marine park, Portugal collected from 2018-08-22 to 2019-02-27 (NCEI Accession 0279326). [indicate subset used]. NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information. Dataset. https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/archive/accession/0279326. 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	2023-06-23T19:53:28Z - NCEI Accession 0279326 v1.1 was published.
Output Datasets	NCEI Accession 0279326 v1.1 NCEI Accession 0279326 v1.1 (download) published 2023-06-23T19:53:28Z

Lineage information for: dataset
Processing Steps	Parameter or Variable: microplastic concentration (measured); Units: items/kg d.w; Observation Category: in situ; Sampling Instrument: Petite Ponar benthic grab; Sampling and Analyzing Method: The study area, comprised of the Sado estuary and the Professor Luiz Saldanha Marine Park, is subject to multiple anthropogenic pressures. Sediment samples were collected in six sampling campaigns, between August 2018 and February 2019, at the same six nearshore sampling stations (located at the 5 m isobaths). The six sampling campaigns occurred every 30 days (approximately) whenever the weather conditions allowed. Two replicate sediment samples (R1 and R2) were collected at each station with a Wildco® Petite Ponar benthic grab. This grab collects sediments from the seabed superficial layer and has a sample area of ca 15 cm × 15 cm. After retrieving the grab from the water, its load was laid directly into a stainless-steel tray (34 cm × 24 cm) and the excess water was discarded. Sediment was then transferred with a wooden spoon to a 500 ml glass jar, up to its maximum capacity. Sediment samples (72 in total) were transported in ice coolers and kept frozen at −20°C until analysis. MPs extraction was carried out at the laboratory, after thawing samples at room temperature. Approximately 250 g (wet weight) of each replicate was transferred into Ø150 mm glass Petri dishes, manually homogenized and placed in the oven at 60°C for 48 h. The content left in the jars was frozen again until further analysis. Three sub-replicates of 50 g each (dry sediment) were directly weighed in 1 L beakers. In order to remove the organic matter content, 150 ml of 10% hydrogen peroxide was added to each beaker. The content was mixed with a glass rod for 1 min and left for 24 h in a fume hood, at room temperature. Each sub-replicate was subsequently poured into a 63 μm sieve and rinsed with distilled water. Then, it was transferred into a Sediment-Microplastic Isolation device (SMI-unit) where a magnetic stir bar (45 × 8 mm) was previously added. The SMI-unit was topped up with ZnCl2 solution (1.5 g cm−3; APC Pure®) until a volume of 700 ml was achieved, and the sediment was mixed. All samples were left to settle for 2 h, except for those collected from st1 (at the estuary) which, due to higher silt/clay fractions, needed a longer period (20 h). When the settling period was over, the valve was closed and the headspace content was vacuum filtered through a glass microfiber filter placed on the stainless-steel screen support of the glass filtration base (filter: MFV2 FILTER-LAB 47 mm Ø with 1 μm pore; filtration base: XX1014732, Millipore). To recover the MPs eventually left in the internal surface of the SMI-unit, the top part was rinsed thoroughly with ZnCl2 and filtered a second time. Finally, the ZnCl2 solution at the bottom part was also filtered, ensuring the solution reuse in subsequent samples. Since the solution density could slightly decline with the continuous use, two batches of ZnCl2 solution were prepared to ensure a similar MPs extraction efficiency among all samples (5 L each; one for R1 samples and another for R2 samples). The extraction of MPs from R2 replicates was only performed after procedures for R1 group were completed. Filters from each sub-replicate, were stored individually in glass Petri dishes and observed under a stereomicroscope (Leica® S8APO) equipped with a camera (Motic® MOTICAM 10+). Particles were classified according to color and type, counted, and measured with the Motic® Images Plus 3.0 software. All particles similar to shavings (Total = 621) were excluded from analysis because they were considered to result from the degradation of the SMI valve made of Polyvinyl chloride. Particles selected for polymer identification were isolated in covered concave slides. The abundance of MPs per sample consisted of the average of counts from the six sub-replicates of 50 g (3 from R1 and three from R2), which were then normalized to a constant weight and reported as items per kg of dry sediment (items kg−1). About 8% (186 items) of the total of particles was selected for polymer identification. The selection was conducted after discarding fibers considered airborne contamination and was based on the best expert judgment according to similarity, texture, thickness, and shine. All particles with a 1–5 mm size range, except for fibers, were analyzed by Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy in attenuated total reflectance (FTIRATR), using a Perkin Elmer® Spectrum Two spectrometer. For smaller particles (0.063–1 mm) and fibers, analyses were carried out on a μ-FTIR spectrometer (Perkin Elmer® Spotlight 200i Microscope System), with microscope aperture 100 μm × 100 μm, using a strong Norton-Beer apodization. All spectra were acquired at room temperature under reflectance mode with a resolution of 4 cm−1 and 1 cm−1 wavenumber intervals, within 4,000–500 cm−1. The analysis was performed on the sample surface, sometimes in more than one point, when results were dubious. A background scan was performed before any analysis series. Polymer identification relied on a match over 80% between the sample and a referenced database. The assignments were confirmed with the analysis of the polymers characteristic bands.; Data Quality Method: To assess airborne contamination, control filters (blanks) were exposed to the air, both during sampling (inside a hanging open glass jar at the boat deck, one blank per sampling campaign) and throughout lab work (in Petri dishes, one per replicate). Thus, all the fibers extracted from samples which were similar to those found in respective blanks were excluded from results. Other contamination sources were minimized, both during field and laboratory work, by using glass, stainless-steel and wooden materials. At the laboratory, samples were kept covered at all times, a cotton lab coat and nitrile gloves were always worn and working surfaces were rinsed before use with Milli-Q water and ethanol. Moreover, all prepared solutions and rinsing liquids were filtered before use..

Lineage information for: dataset

Processing Steps

Parameter or Variable: microplastic concentration (measured); Units: items/kg d.w; Observation Category: in situ; Sampling Instrument: Petite Ponar benthic grab; Sampling and Analyzing Method: The study area, comprised of the Sado estuary and the Professor Luiz Saldanha Marine Park, is subject to multiple anthropogenic pressures. Sediment samples were collected in six sampling campaigns, between August 2018 and February 2019, at the same six nearshore sampling stations (located at the 5 m isobaths). The six sampling campaigns occurred every 30 days (approximately) whenever the weather conditions allowed. Two replicate sediment samples (R1 and R2) were collected at each station with a Wildco® Petite Ponar benthic grab. This grab collects sediments from the seabed superficial layer and has a sample area of ca 15 cm × 15 cm. After retrieving the grab from the water, its load was laid directly into a stainless-steel tray (34 cm × 24 cm) and the excess water was discarded. Sediment was then transferred with a wooden spoon to a 500 ml glass jar, up to its maximum capacity. Sediment samples (72 in total) were transported in ice coolers and kept frozen at −20°C until analysis. MPs extraction was carried out at the laboratory, after thawing samples at room temperature. Approximately 250 g (wet weight) of each replicate was transferred into Ø150 mm glass Petri dishes, manually homogenized and placed in the oven at 60°C for 48 h. The content left in the jars was frozen again until further analysis. Three sub-replicates of 50 g each (dry sediment) were directly weighed in 1 L beakers. In order to remove the organic matter content, 150 ml of 10% hydrogen peroxide was added to each beaker. The content was mixed with a glass rod for 1 min and left for 24 h in a fume hood, at room temperature. Each sub-replicate was subsequently poured into a 63 μm sieve and rinsed with distilled water. Then, it was transferred into a Sediment-Microplastic Isolation device (SMI-unit) where a magnetic stir bar (45 × 8 mm) was previously added. The SMI-unit was topped up with ZnCl2 solution (1.5 g cm−3; APC Pure®) until a volume of 700 ml was achieved, and the sediment was mixed. All samples were left to settle for 2 h, except for those collected from st1 (at the estuary) which, due to higher silt/clay fractions, needed a longer period (20 h). When the settling period was over, the valve was closed and the headspace content was vacuum filtered through a glass microfiber filter placed on the stainless-steel screen support of the glass filtration base (filter: MFV2 FILTER-LAB 47 mm Ø with 1 μm pore; filtration base: XX1014732, Millipore). To recover the MPs eventually left in the internal surface of the SMI-unit, the top part was rinsed thoroughly with ZnCl2 and filtered a second time. Finally, the ZnCl2 solution at the bottom part was also filtered, ensuring the solution reuse in subsequent samples. Since the solution density could slightly decline with the continuous use, two batches of ZnCl2 solution were prepared to ensure a similar MPs extraction efficiency among all samples (5 L each; one for R1 samples and another for R2 samples). The extraction of MPs from R2 replicates was only performed after procedures for R1 group were completed. Filters from each sub-replicate, were stored individually in glass Petri dishes and observed under a stereomicroscope (Leica® S8APO) equipped with a camera (Motic® MOTICAM 10+). Particles were classified according to color and type, counted, and measured with the Motic® Images Plus 3.0 software. All particles similar to shavings (Total = 621) were excluded from analysis because they were considered to result from the degradation of the SMI valve made of Polyvinyl chloride. Particles selected for polymer identification were isolated in covered concave slides. The abundance of MPs per sample consisted of the average of counts from the six sub-replicates of 50 g (3 from R1 and three from R2), which were then normalized to a constant weight and reported as items per kg of dry sediment (items kg−1). About 8% (186 items) of the total of particles was selected for polymer identification. The selection was conducted after discarding fibers considered airborne contamination and was based on the best expert judgment according to similarity, texture, thickness, and shine. All particles with a 1–5 mm size range, except for fibers, were analyzed by Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy in attenuated total reflectance (FTIRATR), using a Perkin Elmer® Spectrum Two spectrometer. For smaller particles (0.063–1 mm) and fibers, analyses were carried out on a μ-FTIR spectrometer (Perkin Elmer® Spotlight 200i Microscope System), with microscope aperture 100 μm × 100 μm, using a strong Norton-Beer apodization. All spectra were acquired at room temperature under reflectance mode with a resolution of 4 cm−1 and 1 cm−1 wavenumber intervals, within 4,000–500 cm−1. The analysis was performed on the sample surface, sometimes in more than one point, when results were dubious. A background scan was performed before any analysis series. Polymer identification relied on a match over 80% between the sample and a referenced database. The assignments were confirmed with the analysis of the polymers characteristic bands.; Data Quality Method: To assess airborne contamination, control filters (blanks) were exposed to the air, both during sampling (inside a hanging open glass jar at the boat deck, one blank per sampling campaign) and throughout lab work (in Petri dishes, one per replicate). Thus, all the fibers extracted from samples which were similar to those found in respective blanks were excluded from results. Other contamination sources were minimized, both during field and laboratory work, by using glass, stainless-steel and wooden materials. At the laboratory, samples were kept covered at all times, a cotton lab coat and nitrile gloves were always worn and working surfaces were rinsed before use with Milli-Q water and ethanol. Moreover, all prepared solutions and rinsing liquids were filtered before use..

Acquisition Information (collection)
Instrument	Fourier-transform infrared (FTIR) spectrometer microscope sediment sampler - grab

Last Modified: 2023-06-25T12:06:55Z
For questions about the information on this page, please email: ncei.info@noaa.gov

Microplastics concentrations in subtidal sediments from the Sado River estuary and the Arrábida marine park, Portugal collected from 2018-08-22 to 2019-02-27 (NCEI Accession 0279326)

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