We can't find the internet
Attempting to reconnect
Something went wrong!
Hang in there while we get back on track
Floating microplastics in a hypersaline Mediterranean coastal lagoon: Abundance, chemical composition, and influence of environmental parameters
AI summary Read the abstract
Researchers conducted the first microplastic investigation of a Mediterranean hypersaline coastal lagoon, finding an average abundance of 60 MPs/L with a statistically significant positive correlation to salinity. Particles were dominated by cellulose acetate semi-synthetic fibers and a small fraction of PET, with fishing and tourism activities identified as likely sources.
Coastal lagoons are marine environments with high economic importance due to their great role in seafood production. However, only a small fraction of coastal lagoons has been investigated for microplastic pollution, and considering hypersaline lagoons, the percentage drops even further. This study investigated microplastics (MPs) pollution for the first time in a Mediterranean hypersaline coastal lagoon. Our work reports an average abundance of 60 MPs/L with a statistically significant positive correlation to salinity. The microplastic particles identified in this study were primarily fragments of semi-synthetic fibers of cellulose acetate. A small amount was determined as polyester polyethylene terephthalate (PET), originating from fishing and touristic activities that occur in the area and potentially transported by the surface circulation of the NE Ionian Sea. Finally, this study shows that the mechanisms controlling the hypersaline conditions in the lagoon (atmospheric forcing and seawater intrusions) are also responsible for the higher concentration of MPs compared to other lagoons. • Korissia lagoon’s first evaluation of MPs pollution. • MPs abundance in the lagoon was 60 MPs/L. • MPs were mostly semi-synthetic fibers of cellulose acetate and PET.
More Papers Like This
Natural and anthropogenic effects on microplastic distribution in a hypersaline lagoon
AI summary Read the abstract
A year-round study of microplastic distribution in a hypersaline coastal lagoon found that seasonal wind patterns and tidal exchange governed particle transport more than human activity, with sediment acting as the primary microplastic sink.
Determination of nano and microplastic particles in hypersaline lakes by multiple methods
AI summary Read the abstract
Researchers used multiple analytical methods to detect and characterize nano- and microplastic particles in a large hypersaline lake, finding both types present across different seasons and locations. The unique chemistry of hypersaline environments affects how plastic particles behave and accumulate. This is one of the first studies to examine microplastic contamination in hypersaline lake systems, which are ecologically distinct and understudied.
Sub-Basin Scale Heterogeneity in the Polymeric Composition of Floating Microplastics in the Mediterranean Sea
AI summary Read the abstract
A large-scale survey of floating microplastics across multiple sub-basins of the Mediterranean Sea revealed significant variation in both abundance and polymer composition—with polyethylene and polypropylene dominating—reflecting different pollution sources and oceanographic circulation patterns in each region. This spatial heterogeneity demonstrates that the Mediterranean cannot be treated as a uniform pollution zone and that sub-basin-scale monitoring is necessary to understand sources, transport, and accumulation of microplastics in semi-enclosed seas.
Sources, concentrations, distributions, fluxes and fate of microplastics in a hypersaline lake: Maharloo, south-west Iran
AI summary Read the abstract
Researchers investigated microplastic sources, concentrations, distributions, and fate in the hypersaline Maharloo Lake in southwest Iran and its inflowing anthropogenically impacted rivers, finding river microplastic concentrations ranging from 0.05 MP/L in headwaters to approximately 2 MP/L downstream of industrial effluents. The study provides one of the first assessments of microplastic dynamics in a hypersaline lake ecosystem.
Microplastics in Abiotic Compartments of a Hypersaline Lacustrine Ecosystem
AI summary Read the abstract
Researchers characterized microplastics across multiple abiotic compartments — surface sediment, lake salt, sludge, lake water, and wastewater — of the hypersaline Maharloo Lake in Iran for the first time, finding 742 microplastics dominated by clear, fibrous particles in the 50–250 µm size range.
Research digests by email
When a large batch of papers lands in the Atlas, we read through it and send a short write-up of what stood out.