在150年前的海洋沉積物中發(fā)現(xiàn)了微型塑料

在150年前的海洋沉積物中發(fā)現(xiàn)了微型塑料

Tiny fragments of plastic have been found buried in seabed sediment more than 150 years old.

人們在150多年前的海底沉積物中發(fā)現(xiàn)了微小的塑料碎片。

Scientists discovered the microplastics in core samples taken 2,200m (7,218ft) below the surface of the North Atlantic.

科學(xué)家在北大西洋表面以下2200米(7218英尺)的巖芯樣本中，發(fā)現(xiàn)了這種微型塑料。

The discovery at the Rockall Trough off the Western Isles at first mystified scientists.

這一發(fā)現(xiàn)最初使科學(xué)家們感到困惑。

But in a new research paper they suggest the plastic dropped down burrows made by deep-sea worms.

但在一篇新的研究論文中，他們認為這些塑料是由深海蠕蟲留下的洞穴掉落的。

Other fragments may have reached lower layers falling through "pores" - gaps in the grains of sediment.

其他碎片可能通過“孔隙”(沉積物顆粒中的空隙)墜落到較低的地層。

The Scottish Association for Marine Science (Sams) in Oban and University of the West of Scotland, who worked on the study, found plastic buried 10cm (3in) down into the seabed.

從事這項研究的奧班蘇格蘭海洋科學(xué)協(xié)會(Sams)和蘇格蘭西部大學(xué)(University of The West of Scotland)在海底發(fā)現(xiàn)了埋在10厘米(3英寸)深的塑料。

Dr Winnie Courtene-Jones, who carried out the sampling at Sams, said: "The layers of sediment down to around 4cm were around 150 years old, so based on that discovery alone, plastics were in the sediment long before they were mass produced on land.

在Sams進行取樣的Winnie Courtene-Jones博士說：“沉積層厚度在4厘米左右，大約有150年的歷史了，因此僅根據(jù)這一發(fā)現(xiàn)，塑料早在陸地大規(guī)模生產(chǎn)之前就已經(jīng)存在于沉積物中。”

"It just didn't add up."

“這根本說不通。”

Dr Courtene-Jones along with other members of the research team suggest pores and also burrows made by creatures such as spoon worms allowed the plastic to sink into the seabed.

Courtene-Jones博士和研究小組的其他成員認為，像匙形蠕蟲這樣的生物所形成的氣孔和洞穴使得塑料能夠沉入海底。