Datazoo

Title: Nano- and Microplastic Particle Lengths and Surface Areas, analyzed with Epifluorescence microscopy, collected aboard the student cruise on R/V Falkor (2013).
Abstract: Surface seawater was collected in stainless steel buckets on a transect from Seattle to Honolulu, in October 2013. Surface seawater samples were filtered on to 5-µm pore polycarbonate filters, and frozen at sea for later analysis. Once back on land, the frozen transparent polycarbonate (PC) filters were filtered on an all-glass apparatus and then imaged with modified epifluorescence microscopy techniques for microplastic particles. All microplastic particles were analyzed for plastic shape, length, surface area, and fluorescence.

Keywords: abundance, ecology, fluorescence, marine, oceans, particulates, epifluorescence microscopy, Microplastics, North Pacific Subtropical Gyre, Microfibers
LTER Data System Record: http://dx.doi.org/10.6073/pasta/87c850a86e1b1048de7192d4472b5f4c

Projects: California Current Ecosystem LTER
Creators: Brandon, Jennifer (jbrandon@wildbeaconconsulting.com)
Contact: CCE LTER Information Manager (ccelter.im@gmail.com)
Other Personnel: Sala, Linsey Method development and data analysis
Freibott, Alexandra Epifluorescence Microscopy expert

Data

table

lengths and areas
Secondary datatable for this dataset containing lengths and surface areas of all plastic types collected on 2013 Falkor cruise.

Rows: 165
Columns: 96

View / Download

Methods

Nano- and Microplastic Filtration

Surface seawater was collected in stainless steel buckets on a transect from Seattle to Honolulu, in October 2013. Surface seawater samples were filtered on to 5-µm pore polycarbonate filters, and frozen at sea for later analysis. Once back on land, the frozen transparent polycarbonate (PC) filters of surface seawater were allowed to come to room temperature, unwrapped from the aluminum foil wrapper, then placed on a glass vacuum filtering device, with a 20-μm nylon support filter to promote even sample distribution. The filtering apparatus was all glass, so the filter never came in contact with laboratory plastic. A small volume of Milli-Q water was added to promote a good seal to the support filter and sample filter. After seawater sample filtration, residual microplastics adhering to the aluminum foil were rinsed onto the sample filter with Milli-Q water. The 47 mm polycarbonate filter was then separated from the backing filter with metal forceps, mounted on a 50 mm glass slide with immersion oil on top, and two cover slips, 24 x 50mm, No. 2 thickness, applied to the slide.

Nano- and Microplastic Abundance, Length and Surface Area

Using modified techniques of the Landry Lab's nano- and microplankton abundance, nano- and microplastic abundance will be measured. Slides will not be stained with any fluorochromes during filtration. These slides will be analyzed for plastic types (long fibers, short fibers, and fragments) with a Zeiss Axiovert 200 microscope equipped with a fully motorized stage and Apotome imaging workstation for automated processing, 3-D reconstruction and extended-field focus. Imaging software then estimates equivalent spherical diameters (ESD) and normalized particle size distributions (log ESD vs. log size; ~1000 particles/analysis). The length, area, type, and fluorescence of every particle is recorded.

California Current Ecosystem LTER

Nano- and Microplastic Particle Lengths and Surface Areas (R/V Falkor 2013)

Data

Methods

Protocols