Anthropogenic particles in surface waters from Adventfjorden (Svalbard)

The ubiquitous presence of microplastics and other anthropogenic compounds in the marine environment are unfortunately not surprising anymore. Recent publications are revealing the occurrence of those synthesized particles in even remote and/or pristine areas in different marine matrices like biota, water and sediment. Nevertheless, the knowledge about sources and transport mechanisms of those anthropogenic particles (APs) is still lacking, especially in the Arctic. In this study we investigated surface waters from Isfjorden and the branching Adventfjorden, where Longyearbyen the largest settlement of Svalbard is located. Here, untreated wastewater is released into the fjord system. At two sample sites upstream and two sample sites downstream, three replicates at each location have been collected in June 2021. APs larger than <50μm were investigated regarding size, shape, and polymer type via μFTIR spectroscopy. At each sampling station, APs were present. The highest concentration of APs was found upstream and downstream Isfjorden; whereas lower concentrations were found within Adventfjorden, closest to the wastewater outlet. Additives and polypropylene showed the highest frequencies. Besides local sources like the untreated wastewater, freshwater inputs, ship traffic or the northwards long-range transport from the south into the Arctic needs to be considered.