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From Dunes to the Shelf: Identifying Microplastic Traps in a Mediterranean Beach Natural Laboratory
Summary
Scientists studying a pristine Italian beach found that tiny plastic bits (mostly fibers, likely from clothing and fishing gear) don't spread evenly across the coast — they pile up in specific "traps" like underwater sandbars, dune bases, and even inside colonies of reef-building worms. This matters because these hotspots show where microplastics enter the food chain (fish and shellfish we eat) and the environment, even in places far from cities or factories, meaning pollution can build up almost anywhere given the right conditions.
This study investigates the distribution and concentration of microplastics (MPs) across the littoral profile of a beach, from dune base to offshore sector, including an estuarine channel and Sabellaria alveolata bioconstructions. The research was conducted at Pino di Lenne beach (Taranto, Ionian Sea), a wave-dominated, microtidal littoral system representing a unique natural laboratory with minimal anthropogenic pressure. An eco-friendly extraction protocol was used, combining methods that were already known in the literature. Olive oil proved highly effective in isolating a wide range of MP densities from sediment samples. Statistical analysis identified key accumulation zones, with the highest mean concentrations found in the submerged sandbar (2435 MPs/kg), Sabellaria bioconstructions (2324 MPs/kg), and the base of the dune (2065 MPs/kg). Fibres were the predominant morphology across all sub-environments. Distribution is interpreted as controlled by hydrodynamic processes and biological activity. The submerged beach drives MP transport, with the sandbar and shoreface acting as dynamic sinks. Sabellaria bioconstructions function as biological trap, actively incorporating MPs into their tubular structures. The dune base acts as a sink for wind-blown and storm-deposited plastics. These sub-environments function as critical littoral traps for MPs, essential for developing targeted monitoring and remediation strategies in similar coastal systems.