ORIGINAL RESEARCH
Comprehensive Effects of Temperature, Salinity,
and Current Velocity on the Microplastic
Abundance in Offshore Area
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School of Environment, Northeast Normal University, NO. 2555 Jingyue Street, Changchun, Jilin 130117, China
Submission date: 2021-03-22
Final revision date: 2021-08-03
Acceptance date: 2021-09-18
Online publication date: 2022-02-14
Publication date: 2022-03-22
Corresponding author
Jiao Qu
Northeast Normal University, China
Pol. J. Environ. Stud. 2022;31(2):1727-1736
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ABSTRACT
Three offshore areas including the East China Sea, Java Island in Indonesia, and Tampa Bay
in the USA were selected as the survey regions. The effects of hydrological conditions on the abundance
of microplastic in the survey marine regions were analyzed using the multiple linear regression
analysis in this work. The regression models were constructed with the seawater temperature, salinity,
and current velocity as independent variables. The models showed that current velocity was the most
important factor that affected the accumulation or diffusion of microplastic. Seawater temperature
and salinity also affected microplastic abundance by affecting the movement and density of seawater.
It is feasible to establish a regression model of microplastic abundance through hydrological data
in offshore areas to analyze and predict the migration and accumulation characteristics of microplastic.
The interaction of hydrological factors determined the abundance of marine microplastic.