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Riverine microplastic discharge along the southern Black Sea coast of Türkiye
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Researchers sampled 29 rivers flowing into the southern Black Sea coast of Turkey and found microplastics present in all of them, with an average concentration of about 9.6 particles per cubic meter. Polypropylene and polyethylene were the most common types, and fibers were the dominant shape, likely originating from textile and domestic wastewater. The study highlights that rivers are a significant pathway for microplastic pollution entering the Black Sea.
Abstract Rivers are critical pathways of microplastic (MP) pollution to marine environments, yet their contributions to the Black Sea remain understudied. This study evaluates the abundance and characteristics (polymer composition, shape, size, and color) of MPs discharged from 29 rivers flowing into the southern Black Sea. Using a plankton net with a 200 μ m mesh size, samples were collected from river mouths, revealing an average MP abundance of 9.63 ± 1.27 MP m −3 , ranging from 1.03 to 29.8 MP m −3 . Eastern Black Sea rivers exhibited significantly higher MP levels (11.0 ± 1.57 MP m −3 ) compared to western rivers (5.15 ± 1.25 MP m −3 ). Annual MP discharge to the Black Sea was estimated at 1.49 × 10 11 particles. Polyethylene terephthalate (PET, 59.3% ± 2.66%), polyethylene (PE, 20.8% ± 2.04%), and polypropylene (PP, 14.1% ± 2.36%) were the most common polymers, with PET and PE being significantly dominant. MP sizes ranged predominantly between 200–1000 μ m, and fibers constituted the majority of shapes (64.1%), followed by fragments (28.3%). White (36.8% ± 1.93%) and transparent (30.9% ± 2.39%) MPs were the most prevalent colors. While no significant differences in MP characteristics were detected between basins (NMDS and ANOSIM), this study emphasizes rivers as major pathways for MP pollution in the Black Sea. These findings underscore the urgent need for targeted mitigation strategies to safeguard marine ecosystems and biodiversity.
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Researchers characterized microplastics in eight rivers discharging into Mersin Bay in the northeastern Mediterranean, finding fibres dominated at 83.5% of particles and calculating a total load of approximately 1,200 billion particles delivered to the bay. Microplastic characteristics in the rivers closely matched those previously documented in the marine environment of Mersin Bay.
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