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Approaches to understanding and monitoring sources, distribution, and fate of plastic waste generated on the Peruvian coast
Summary
Researchers established monitoring approaches for plastic waste sources, distribution, and fate along the Peruvian coast through the REMARCO Regional Citizen Science Programme, quantifying inputs from Lima and Callao, mapping pollution pathways from sources to marine environments, and building national capacity for microplastic monitoring in sandy beaches.
This research established robust approaches to understanding and monitoring sources, distribution, and fate of plastic waste generated on the Peruvian coast. Quantifying Lima and Callao inputs, and mapping behaviours to sources, impacts and interventions by the Regional Citizen Science Programme and Research Network of Marine-Coastal Stressors in Latin America and the Caribbean (REMARCO) over the last five years. In addition, the Instituto del Mar del Peru (IMARPE) showed the strengthened capacities for monitoring the presence of microplastics in sandy beaches, through the microplastics APEC course in 2014 and the inter-regional NUTEC plastics network coordination 2024-2028 period. The present study is the first attempt to investigate the occurrence and distribution pattern of macro, meso and microplastics (MPs) in the Costa Azul (CA) sandy beach of Peru. Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy was used to identify the MP particle (> 300 µm). The mean abundance of macroplastics in this study site was 1.20 ± 0.80 particles m-2, the predominant types of plastics were fragments of plastic bags, hard plastics, and Styrofoam. The abundance of microplastics (5 -1 mm) was found in the following order: Hard plastics > Foams > fibres> beads > pellets. The greatest abundance of microplastics (5-1 mm) was concentrated in the supralittoral zone, with 3139.20 ± 2131.68 particles/m-2 in CA sandy beach. In addition, the most abundant polymer type was high-density polyethene (HDPE) (50%). The macro, meso and microplastics (MPs) monitoring by IMARPE characteristics are a.-The inter-regional harmonized protocols and standardized methods, increased collaboration between regions by NUTEC plastic, b.-The long-term monitoring supported by the Peruvian government, c.-The regional database platform to data sharing and open science practices.
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