Accumulation of microplastics in the marine sediments of the Chukchi Sea, Arctic Ocean

Marine sediments are recognized as a sink for marine plastics, yet knowledge of the burial characteristics of microplastics (MPs) in the Arctic ecosystem, which has been dramatically impacted by anthropogenic activities, is limited. Accordingly, sediments from 4 stations were collected on the continental shelf of the Chukchi Sea to investigate and record their MPs. The sediment samples were analyzed through flotation with saturated sodium iodide solution, and the results showed that the abundance of MPs in the sediments at different stations of the continental shelf of the Chukchi Sea ranged from 674 to 1942 items/kg, average 1145 +/- 578 items/kg. The MP particle size varied at the interval of 14.71-4954.52 mu m. The dominant colors, shapes, and materials were black and transparent, fiber and PE, respectively. The distribution of MPs in sediments was negatively correlated with offshore distance and buried depth. The burial of MPs in the sediments of the Chukchi Sea was affected by a variety of factors and was closely related to the burial of organic carbon. Arctic Ocean sediments may be a sink of global MPs that cannot be ignored.