Publications by authors named "P Kerherve"
This study focuses on the relevance of small watersheds in the macroplastic pollution of coastal environments. It aims to identify and quantify in terms of composition, number and mass, current riverine flows of floating macroplastics (>2.5 cm).
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- The amount of plastic floating on the ocean surface is much less than what is estimated to be released from rivers each year, suggesting a missing mechanism for its removal.
- Recent analysis indicates that current estimates of river-borne plastics are significantly overstated, possibly by up to 1,000 times.
- This revised understanding reveals that microplastics can remain on the ocean's surface for several years instead of just a few days, diminishing the need for an unknown "sink" for this plastic.
Article Synopsis
- The study quantifies microplastic (MP) fluxes in the Rhône and Têt rivers, showing significant variability in concentrations over time and space with no clear link to hydroclimatic conditions.
- In the Rhône River, MPs exhibited a non-linear dilution pattern during floods, while the Têt had higher and more variable MP concentrations despite an overall dry year.
- The research also found that atmospheric deposition of MPs, primarily fibers, is significant and surpasses river fluxes, indicating possible overestimation or efficient removal of these materials from surface waters.
Microplastics are small (<5mm) fragments of plastic debris that are ubiquitous in coastal areas and in open ocean. We have investigated the occurrence and composition of microplastics in beach sediments from the micro-tidal Northwestern Mediterranean Sea. Samples were collected on two beaches (northern and southern site) of the western Gulf of Lion showing markedly different characteristics.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFMicrobial-driven organic matter (OM) degradation is a cornerstone of benthic community functioning, but little is known about the relation between OM and community composition. Here we use Rhône prodelta sediments to test the hypothesis that OM quality and source are fundamental structuring factors for bacterial communities in benthic environments. Sampling was performed on four occasions corresponding to contrasting river-flow regimes, and bacterial communities from seven different depths were analyzed by pyrosequencing of 16S rRNA gene amplicons.
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