Comment on "The missing ocean plastic sink: Gone with the rivers".

Mai, Lei; Sun, Xiang-Fei; Zeng, Eddy Y · Science · 2022

editorial · Level V

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Abstract

Weiss <i>et al</i>. (Reports, 2 July 2021, p. 107) incorrectly conclude that the residence time for floating microplastic stock at the ocean surface is ~2.4 years. We contend that this conclusion is fundamentally flawed, because the residence time is obtained through dividing a published oceanic stock of plastic debris by a doubtable river microplastic flux estimated by the authors.

Medical subject headings