We can't find the internet
Attempting to reconnect
Something went wrong!
Hang in there while we get back on track
New Plastitar Record for the Mediterranean Sea: Characterization of Plastics and Tar from the Salento Peninsula (Ionian Sea)
AI summary Read the abstract
This study characterized 'plastitar' blocks — fused mixtures of tar, microplastics, and natural debris — collected from the Ionian coast of southern Italy, identifying the polymer types and petroleum-based compounds embedded within them. These hybrid pollution objects are a largely overlooked form of coastal contamination that concentrate both plastic and hydrocarbon pollutants in marine shoreline environments.
The various forms of anthropogenic pollution are regarded as a serious threat to marine coastal areas. The overproduction and mismanagement of petroleum derivatives, such as tar and plastics, have resulted in a significant correlation between these two pollutants. The aggregation of tar, microplastics (MPs), and natural materials can create plastitar blocks, which are common in coastal areas. These raise concern about the undeniable negative impact on the marine ecosystem and the associated biota, and serve as a recognizable and understandable indication of environmental decline. Here, the composition of the 11 plastitar blocks collected on the Ionian side of the Apulia region (Italy) was characterized both in tar and plastics using nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy and Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, respectively. Of the 250 particles extracted from the tar, 208 were identified as plastics, predominantly Polyethylene. The majority of these were in the form of pellets (90%), with fragments accounting for 5% and films and filaments representing the remaining 5%. This study provides new data that can be used to enhance the understanding of the distribution and baseline information about this novel form of pollution in Italian waters.
More Papers Like This
New Plastitar Record for the Mediterranean Sea: Characterization of Plastics and Tar from the Salento Peninsula (Ionian Sea)
AI summary Read the abstract
Researchers documented a new occurrence of Plastitar -- aggregates of tar, microplastics, and natural materials -- on the Salento Peninsula coastline of the Ionian Sea, characterizing the plastic and tar components using spectroscopic and chemical analysis. The study adds to Mediterranean records of this composite pollution form and discusses its ecological implications for coastal and marine biota.
Plastitar in the Mediterranean Sea: New records and the first geochemical characterization of these novel formations.
AI summary Read the abstract
This study reports the widespread occurrence of 'plastitar' — a novel formation of plastic debris fused with petroleum tar — along Mediterranean coastlines, following its initial description from the Canary Islands. The authors found hundreds of plastic particles per kilogram of tar surveyed and characterized the geochemistry of these formations, representing a new type of plastic pollution in coastal environments.
Plastitar: A new threat for coastal environments
AI summary Read the abstract
Researchers described 'plastitar,' a novel coastal material formed when oil tar residues solidify and incorporate microplastics, sand, and organic debris on rocky shores, identifying it as an emerging threat to coastal ecosystems because it can concentrate and slowly release both hydrocarbons and plastic pollutants.
Plastitar: A new plastic formation that threatens coastal marine environments
AI summary Read the abstract
Researchers described a new plastic formation called 'plastitar' — a mixture of petroleum tar and plastic debris found fused together on rocky shores. This novel form of marine plastic pollution represents a previously undescribed threat to coastal ecosystems, both as a physical contaminant and as a potential source of chemical leachates. The discovery adds to the growing list of novel plastic forms being identified in marine environments worldwide.
Plastitar and pyroplastics as emerging vectors of coastal pollution: Chemical identification from Panjang Island (Java Sea) and Palm Beach, Florida
AI summary Read the abstract
Researchers chemically characterized plastitar and pyroplastic samples from coastal sites in Indonesia and Florida using infrared spectroscopy and two-dimensional gas chromatography, finding that Panjang Island samples contained some of the highest concentrations of PAHs ever reported in marine plastic debris—up to 247,951 ng/g—alongside elevated phthalates, highlighting these thermally altered plastic-tar hybrids as potent dual carriers of physical and chemical contamination.
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.