Non-fibrous microplastics sampled by the Continuous Plankton Recorder (CPR) Survey throughout the North Atlantic Ocean during 2018 have been recorded and a selection (n = 17, or 16.7%) physically and chemically characterised. The average abundance of non-fibrous particles captured by the plankton silks and detectable by microscopy was estimated to be around 0.01 m^-3, with the highest concentrations evident in shelf seas of northwest Europe. Amongst the samples analysed, median size was 180 μm and, based on visible properties (e.g., brittleness, layering) and infra-red spectra, all but one were identified as flakes of paint. Semi-quantitative analysis by energy-dispersive X-ray fluorescence spectrometry with a collimated beam revealed that six flakes from European shelf seas were Cu-based antifouling formulations (without evidence of organo-Sn compounds), and five with a broader geographical distribution were Pb-based formulations of likely marine origin. Other elements regularly detected included Cr, Fe, Ti and Zn that were present in pigments or as contaminants from the underlying substrate. After fibres, paint flakes appear to be the most abundant type of microplastic in the oceans that, because of the abundance and mobility of metallic additives, deserve closer scientific attention.

2018 年整个北大西洋的连续浮游生物记录仪 (CPR) 调查对非纤维微塑料进行了记录，并对其进行了 物理和化学表征（n = 17，或 16.7%）。由浮游生物丝捕获并通过显微镜可检测到的非纤维颗粒的平均丰度估计约为 0.01 m ^-3，在欧洲西北部的陆架海中浓度最高。在分析的样品中，中值尺寸为 180 微米，根据可见特性（如脆性、分层）和红外光谱，除一个外，所有样品均被确定为油漆片。使用准直光束的能量色散 X 射线荧光光谱法进行的半定量分析表明，来自欧洲大陆架海的 6 个薄片是基于铜的防污配方（没有有机锡化合物的证据），而具有更广泛地理分布的 5 个薄片是 Pb - 可能源自海洋的配方。定期检测到的其他元素包括 Cr、Fe、Ti 和 Zn，它们存在于颜料中或作为来自底层基材的污染物。在纤维之后，油漆片似乎是海洋中最丰富的微塑料类型，