Table 1 DOC concentration leached from plastics during the light and dark incubations

From: Dissolved organic carbon leaching from plastics stimulates microbial activity in the ocean

Plastic type

Incubation time (d)

Treatment

Total DOC leached (µg cm−2)

Instantaneous DOC leached (µg cm−2)

Incubation DOC leached (µg cm−2)

DOC consumption during microbial incubation (µmol L−1)

LDPE

6

Light

5.8 ± 0.51

3.50 ± 0.51

2.3 ± 0.07

74.0 ± 4.39

 

Dark

6.02 ± 1.75

2.81 ± 1.80

3.21 ± 0.41

94.6 ± 16.74

HDPE

6

Light

2.41 ± 0.94

2.03 ± 0.94

0.39 ± 0.05

53.7 ± 5.62

 

Dark

2.74*

1.56*

1.18 ± 0.5

104.1 ± 1.50

LDPE

30

Light

6.67 ± 0.90

0.67 ± 1.39

6.00 ± 1.06

92.1 ± 3.74

 

Dark

8.92 ± 0.29

8.13 ± 0.59

0.79 ± 0.52

150.4 ± 17.62

HDPE

30

Light

6.28 ± 0.96

5.16 ± 0.96

1.12 ± 0.03

136.3 ± 0.54

 

Dark

2.79 ± 0.34

2.42 ± 0.45

0.37 ± 0.29

69.6 ± 17.34

PE packaging

30

Light

0.31 ± 0.16

0.09 ± 0.17

0.22 ± 0.02

27.2 ± 1.16

 

Dark

0.26 ± 0.20

0.52 ± 0.39

−0.26 ± 0.33

30.9 ± 3.49

PP packaging

30

Light

2.17 ± 0.13

1.10 ± 0.42

1.07 ± 0.40

55.0 ± 1.77

 

Dark

1.61 ± 0.15

1.10 ± 0.20

0.51 ± 0.14

52.5 ± 2.25

  1. Instantaneous DOC leached is the DOC released right after the addition of the plastic to the artificial seawater and prior to the exposure to the artificial solar radiation. Total DOC leached: DOC at the end of the irradiation period minus DOC in artificial seawater before the plastic addition; Incubation DOC leached: DOC at the end of the irradiation period minus DOC after the plastic addition and prior incubation. DOC consumption during microbial incubation: DOC at the end of the microbial experiment minus DOC at the initial time of the microbial experiment. * only one sample of the three replicates. HDPE high-density polyethylene, LDPE low-density polyethylene, PE polyethylene, PP polypropylene
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