Scientific publications

Plastic resin pellets were collected from coastal areas (n = 7) of central Chile. Pellets were analyzed using Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy for polymer identification and gas chromatography–mass spectrometry for Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs) determination. Screened compounds were PBDEs (n = 10), PCBs (n = 7), and OCPs (n = 13). Pellets were only found at Lenga Beach (San Vicente Bay), which is likely influenced by the presence…

The Global Atmospheric Passive Sampling (GAPS) study aims to demonstrate the feasibility of using passive samplers to assess the spatial distribution of persistent organic pollutants on a worldwide basis. The GAPS network includes more than 40 sites on 7 continents, mainly in background locations, with some representation of urban and agricultural areas. Here we present…

In this review the analytical techniques for measuring microplastics in sediment have been evaluated. Four primary areas of the analytical process have been identified that include (1) sampling, (2) extraction, (3) quantitation and (4) quality assurance/quality control (QAQC). Each of those sections have their own subject specific challenges and require further method development and harmonisation.…

Along the coastal periphery of the Greenland and Antarctic Ice Sheets, global warming has increased freshwater discharge and associated fluxes of terrigenous material from the cryosphere into the ocean. Shifts in the availability of light and bio-accessible nitrogen, phosphorous, silica, iron, manganese, and cobalt can influence seasonal patterns of marine primary production. Yet the spatial…

During January and February 2017 massive phytoplankton blooms (chlorophyll > 15 mg m-3) were registered in surface waters within two bays in the Western Antarctic Peninsula (WAP). Reflecting these intense blooms, surface waters exhibited high pH (up to 8.4), low pCO2 (< 175 µatm) and low nitrate concentrations (down to 1.5 µM). These summer phytoplankton…

Despite the recent increase in knowledge concerning microorganisms, the processes determining their global distribution and functioning have not been disentangled. Microbial dormant stages are adapted to endure specific adverse conditions related to their dispersion path, suggesting that dispersion is not entirely a stochastic process. Long-term dormancy enhances microbial dispersion, promoting the ubiquity of microorganisms. The…