Combining Litter Observations with a Regional Ocean Model to Identify Sources and Sinks of Floating Debris in a Semi-enclosed Basin: The Adriatic Sea

Visual ship transect surveys provide crucial information about the density, and spatial distribution of floating anthropogenic litter in a basin. However, such observations provide a ‘snapshot’ of local conditions at a given time and cannot be used to deduce the provenance of the litter or to predict its fate, crucial information for management and mitigation policies. Particle tracking techniques have seen extensive use in these roles, however, most previous studies have used simplistic initial conditions based on bulk average inputs of debris to the system. Here, observations of floating anthropogenic macro debris in the Adriatic Sea are used to define initial conditions (number of particles, location, and time) in a Lagrangian particle tracking model. Particles are advected backward and forward in time for 60 days (120 days total) using surface velocities from an operational regional ocean model. Sources and sinks for debris observed in the central and southern Adriatic in May 2013 and March 2015 included the Italian coastline from Pescara to Brindisi, the Croatian island of Mljet, and the coastline from Dubrovnik through Montenegro to Albania. Debris observed in the northern Adriatic originated from the Istrian peninsula to the Italian city of Termoli, as well as the Croatian island of Cres and the Kornati archipelago. Particles spent a total of roughly 47 days afloat. Coastal currents, notably the eastern and western Adriatic currents, resulted in large alongshore displacements. Our results indicate that anthropogenic macro debris originates largely from coastal sources near population centers and is advected by the cyclonic surface circulation until it strands on the southwest (Italian) coast, exits the Adriatic, or recirculates in the southern gyreVersión del edito

Microplastic study reveals the presence of natural and synthetic fibres in the diet of King Penguins (Aptenodytes patagonicus) foraging from South Georgia

The Antarctic Circumnavigation Expedition (ACE) was a research cruise of the Swiss Polar Institute, supported by funding from the ACE Foundation. Funding for this research was provided by the ACE Foundation (projects 5 and 19), the Natural Environment Research Council’s Collaborative Antarctic Science Scheme (CASS-129) and a Trans-Antarctic Association Grant to RBS.Marine ecosystems are experiencing substantial disturbances due to climate change and overfishing, and plastic pollution is an additional growing threat. Microfibres are among the most pervasive pollutants in the marine environment, including in the Southern Ocean. However, evidence for microfibre contamination in the diet of top predators in the Southern Ocean is rare. King Penguins (Aptenodytes patagonicus) feed on mesopelagic fish, which undergo diel vertical migrations towards the surface at night. Microfibres are concentrated in surface waters and sediments but can also be concentrated in fish, therefore acting as contamination vectors for diving predators feeding at depth. In this study, we investigate microfibre contamination of King Penguin faecal samples collected in February and March 2017 at South Georgia across three groups: incubating, chick-rearing and non-breeding birds. After a KOH digestion to dissolve the organic matter and a density separation step using a NaCl solution, the samples were filtered to collect microfibres. A total of 77% of the penguin faecal samples (36 of 47) contained microfibres. Fibres were measured and characterized using Fourier-Transform Infrared spectroscopy to determine their polymeric identity. Most fibres (88%) were made of natural cellulosic materials (e.g. cotton, linen), with only 12% synthetic (e.g. polyester, nylon) or semi-synthetic (e.g. rayon). An average of 21.9 ± 5.8 microfibres g−1 of faeces (lab dried mass) was found, with concentrations more than twice as high in incubating penguins than in penguins rearing chicks. Incubating birds forage further north at the Antarctic Polar Front and travel longer distances from South Georgia than chick-rearing birds. This suggests that long-distance travelling penguins are probably more exposed to the risk of ingesting microfibres when feeding north of the Antarctic Polar Front, which might act as a semi-permeable barrier for microfibres. Microfibres could therefore provide a signature for foraging location in King Penguins.Publisher PDFPeer reviewe

The physical oceanography of the transport of floating marine debris

Marine plastic debris floating on the ocean surface is a major environmental problem. However, its distribution in the ocean is poorly mapped, and most of the plastic waste estimated to have entered the ocean from land is unaccounted for. Better understanding of how plastic debris is transported from coastal and marine sources is crucial to quantify and close the global inventory of marine plastics, which in turn represents critical information for mitigation or policy strategies. At the same time, plastic is a unique tracer that provides an opportunity to learn more about the physics and dynamics of our ocean across multiple scales, from the Ekman convergence in basin-scale gyres to individual waves in the surfzone. In this review, we comprehensively discuss what is known about the different processes that govern the transport of floating marine plastic debris in both the open ocean and the coastal zones, based on the published literature and referring to insights from neighbouring fields such as oil spill dispersion, marine safety recovery, plankton connectivity, and others. We discuss how measurements of marine plastics (both in situ and in the laboratory), remote sensing, and numerical simulations can elucidate these processes and their interactions across spatio-temporal scales

Toward the integrated marine debris observing system

Plastics and other artificial materials pose new risks to the health of the ocean. Anthropogenic debris travels across large distances and is ubiquitous in the water and on shorelines, yet, observations of its sources, composition, pathways, and distributions in the ocean are very sparse and inaccurate. Total amounts of plastics and other man-made debris in the ocean and on the shore, temporal trends in these amounts under exponentially increasing production, as well as degradation processes, vertical fluxes, and time scales are largely unknown. Present ocean circulation models are not able to accurately simulate drift of debris because of its complex hydrodynamics. In this paper we discuss the structure of the future integrated marine debris observing system (IMDOS) that is required to provide long-term monitoring of the state of this anthropogenic pollution and support operational activities to mitigate impacts on the ecosystem and on the safety of maritime activity. The proposed observing system integrates remote sensing and in situ observations. Also, models are used to optimize the design of the system and, in turn, they will be gradually improved using the products of the system. Remote sensing technologies will provide spatially coherent coverage and consistent surveying time series at local to global scale. Optical sensors, including high-resolution imaging, multi- and hyperspectral, fluorescence, and Raman technologies, as well as SAR will be used to measure different types of debris. They will be implemented in a variety of platforms, from hand-held tools to ship-, buoy-, aircraft-, and satellite-based sensors. A network of in situ observations, including reports from volunteers, citizen scientists and ships of opportunity, will be developed to provide data for calibration/validation of remote sensors and to monitor the spread of plastic pollution and other marine debris. IMDOS will interact with other observing systems monitoring physical, chemical, and biological processes in the ocean and on shorelines as well as the state of the ecosystem, maritime activities and safety, drift of sea ice, etc. The synthesized data will support innovative multi-disciplinary research and serve a diverse community of users

Aerosolterapia domiciliare con nebulizzatori in asma e BPCO: Cosa sta cambiando in Italia?

Background. Nebulisers are devices delivering aerosol therapy in asthmatic and COPD patients. Materials and methods. Comparison of two multicentre, observational surveys performed on 1999 and 2008. Both studies included a large population of Italian patients suffering from asthma or COPD and regularly using home nebuliser therapy. All enrolled subjects were assessed during a scheduled outpatient pulmonary visit. They gave information about their nebuliser treatment by a standardised self-compiled questionnaire. Results. The 1 st study included 816 subjects (40% had over 70 years of age; males 75%, females 25%; asthmatics 40%, COPD 60%). The 2nd study enrolled 151 subjects (48% over 70 years of age; males 82%, females 18%; asthmatics 47%, COPD 53%). The populations did not differ for gender, age, and primary respiratory diagnosis. The most commonly used medications were beta2-agonists, anticholinergics, and corticosteroids; nebulised drugs and their dosage did not differ between the studies. Coadmixture of more drugs was ubiquitous and performed by more than 90% of patients. Almost 80% of enrolled subjects for both studies selected their nebuliser themselves without any medical advice. The equipment was heterogeneous, but jet nebulisers accounted for more than 90% of the total. In the 1st investigation half of subjects had a glass reservoir vs. 15% in the 2nd study. Conclusions. We conclude that home nebuliser therapy remains common in Italy. Mixing of more drugs and the widespread use of corticosteroids were and remain peculiarities in our country. Health care givers can improve nebulizer practice by giving more education to their patients

Dense water plumes SW off Spitsbergen Archipelago (Arctic) in 2014-2017

In the last decades, the Arctic region has gained a large interest because of climate changes and relevant effects on ice melting and global warming. Abrupt changes in the atmosphere are responsible for significant changes in ocean water masses and large-scale circulation patterns, which in turn affect the global climate. Studying ocean circulation and related processes along the west Svalbard slope and within the Storfjorden (south Svalbard Archipelago) is essential to describe the thermohaline circulation and the dense water formation (DWF) in the Arctic, and the way they contribute to the global thermohaline circulation. DWF processes in this region depend on the rate of cooling and homogenisation of the Atlantic water along its northwards pathway, brine rejection phenomena, boundary convection on the Arctic Ocean shelves and slopes, and deep open-ocean convection in the central gyres of the Greenland and Iceland Seas. This study focuses on brine rejection, shelf convection and entrainment processes, which occur on the west Svalbard margin and in the Storfjorden during the winter season. Two short (~140m) moorings (named S1 and ID2, figure 1) were deployed ~1000m deep along the slope in 2014, to collect multiannual time-series in an area of potential interaction between the West Spitsbergen Current and the descending dense shelf plumes. Four oceanographic cruises were carried out between 2014 and 2017 to integrate time-series with CTD (conductivity-temperature-depth) casts in the area. One purpose of this research activity was to study the role played by bottom currents in the formation of two sediment drifts (Isfjorden and Bellsund). At S1 and ID2, time-series revealed a large thermohaline and current variability during the winter period, from October to April. Our data highlight the presence of a stable signal of Norwegian Sea Deep Water (θ = -0.90°C, S = 34.90, σθ = 28.07 kg m-3) at 1000m depth, influenced by occasional intrusions of warmer (up to +2°C), saltier (up to ~35), and less dense (down to 27.98 kg m-3) water during fall-winter periods. Interestingly, such intrusions occur simultaneously at both sites, despite their distance (~170km), suggesting also that winter meteorological perturbations play an important role in triggering dense shelf plumes. In this paper, the origin, timing, and role of shelf turbidity plumes (denser than TS plumes), which descend along the slope and undergo a strong entrainment process that modify their properties will be discussed. The role of possible mesoscale processes and land-sea atmosphere interactions will also be investigated

AMAP Litter and Microplastics Monitoring Guidelines. Version 1.0. Arctic Monitoring and Assessment Programme

The purpose of the guidelines is to review existing knowledge and provide guidance for designing an Arctic monitoring program that will track litter and MP. The topics of litter, plastic pollution, and MP are addressed in many fora, including several of the Arctic Council working groups: Arctic Monitoring and Assessment Programme (AMAP; https://www.amap.no/documents/doc/amap-assessment-2016-chemicals-of-emerging-arctic-concern/1624), Protection of the Marine Environment (PAME, 2019), and Conservation of the Arctic Flora and Fauna (CAFF). The development of an Arctic monitoring program and its technical approaches will be based on the work that already exists in other programs such as those of OSPAR, the Helsinki Commission (HELCOM), the International Council for the Exploration of the Sea (ICES), the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), and the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP). Plastic pollution is typically categorized into items and particles of macro-, micro-, and nano-sizes. These guidelines address macrosized litter as well as MP (1 µm). However, determination of nanoplastic (< 1 µm) particles is still hampered by technical challenges, as addressed in Section 4.3 Analytical methods, and thus not currently considered in the current recommendations. Although most studies have addressed marine litter and MP, these guidelines also comprise the Arctic’s terrestrial and freshwater environments. Thus, the objectives of the guidelines are to: 1) support litter and MP baseline mapping in the Arctic across a wide range of environmental compartments to allow spatial and temporal comparisons in the coming years; 2) initiate monitoring to generate data to assess temporal and spatial trends; 3) recommend that Arctic countries develop and implement monitoring nationally via community-based programs and other mechanisms, in the context of a pan-Arctic program; 4) provide data that can be used with the Marine Litter Regional Action Plan (ML-RAP) to assess the effectiveness of mitigation strategies; 5) act as a catalyst for future work in the Arctic related to biological effects of plastics, including determining environmentally relevant concentrations and informing cumulative effects assessments; 6) identify areas in which research and development are needed from an Arctic perspective; and 7) provide recommendations for monitoring programs whose data will feed into future global assessments to track litter and MP in the environment. To achieve these objectives, the guidelines present indicators (with limitations) of litter and MP pollution to be applied throughout the Arctic, and thus, form the basis for circumpolar comparability of approaches and data. In addition, the guidelines present technical details for sampling, sample treatment, and plastic determination, with harmonized and potentially standardized approaches. Furthermore, recommendations are given on sampling locations and sampling frequency based on best available science to provide a sound basis for spatial and temporal trend monitoring. As new data are gathered, and appropriate power analyses can be undertaken, a review of the sampling sizes, locations, and frequencies should be initiated. Plastic pollution is a local problem in Arctic communities, and thus, guidelines and references need to include community-based monitoring projects to empower communities to establish plastics monitoring with comparable results across the Arctic. Community-based monitoring is an integrated part of the objectives of this report. The monitoring program design and guidelines for its implementation are the necessary first steps for monitoring and assessment of litter and MP in the Arctic. The work under the AMAP LMEG is taking a phased approach under this new expert group. The first phase (which included the development of these Monitoring Guidelines) focuses on a monitoring framework and set of techniques for physical plastics. Later phases of the work will extend to assessments of levels, trends, and effects of litter and MP in the Arctic environment. The guidelines strictly cover environmental monitoring of litter and MP. This does not include drinking water or indoor air quality tests. Additionally, although there is an emphasis on examining litter and MP in biota that are consumed by humans, and thus of interest to human-health questions, the guidelines do not consider MP ingestion by humans