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Microplastic pollution from pellet spillage: Analysis of the Toconao ship accident along the Spanish and Portuguese coasts
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Researchers analyzed microplastic pellet pollution along 633 kilometers of Spanish and Portuguese coastline following the 2023 Toconao ship accident that spilled 25 tons of pellets. They characterized over 7,000 sampled pellets by size, degradation level, color, and polymer type across 31 beaches. The study documents the geographic spread and environmental impact of a major pellet spillage event in the Northeast Atlantic.
In December 2023, 25 tons of pellets were lost by the Toconao ship in the Northwest Atlantic Ocean in front of the Portuguese coast. In this work, a coastal stretch of 633 km in Asturias and Galicia (Spain) and Northern Portugal was investigated to assess pellets' concentration on 31 beaches. Field surveys were carried out in March 2024 and focused on sampling plastic pellets deposited along the shoreline. All the 7263 sampled pellets were characterized by size, degradation level, and color, while one subset was characterized by weight (40 % of the total) and another subset by polymer type (15 % of the total) using FT-IR spectroscopy. The results reveal that 94 % of the surveyed sites containing pellets, whereas the concentration values vary significantly among beaches, ranging from 0 to 40.3 pellets/kgdw. By combining the accounted variables, it emerges that 48.0 % of the collected pellets can be linked to the Toconao spill.
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Case report of plastic nurdles pollution in Galicia (NW Atlantic) following the Toconao's spill in December 2023: The VIEIRA Collaborative.
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This case report documents the large-scale contamination of 1,498 km of Galician coastline (Spain) following the accidental spill of 25 tonnes of plastic nurdles from a cargo vessel in December 2023. The incident highlights the environmental risk of shipping pre-production plastic pellets and the challenges of assessing and remediating large-scale nurdle spills.
Integrated Chemical and Hazard Assessment of Plastic Pellets from the Toconao Spill (Galicia, Spain) Indicates Potential for Environmental Harm
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Researchers analyzed plastic pellets from a major 2023 shipping spill off the coast of Portugal, identifying over 50 chemical substances and testing their toxicity on algae, copepods, zebrafish, and human cells. The study found significant harm to algae and copepods, including growth inhibition and immobilization, while zebrafish embryos and human cells showed minimal or modest effects, underscoring the complex chemical risks that pellet spills pose to marine ecosystems.
Occurrence and fate of polyethylene pellets in the Galician coast (N.W. Spain) after the Toconao spillage: study of associated plastic additives and chemical weathering
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Analysis of 42 Galician beaches following a 2023 container spill found polyethylene pellets on 62% of beaches, with the UV-stabilizer additive Tinuvin 622 serving as a chemical fingerprint to track the spilled material. A six-month weathering study showed the pellets began chemically degrading after 13 weeks in seawater, highlighting how spilled plastic pellets rapidly become a source of additive-laden microplastics.
Microplastics on the Portuguese coast
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Researchers analysed marine litter across 11 Portuguese beaches over two years and found that 99% of all collected items were plastic, with 68% classified as microplastics under 5 mm and resin pellets comprising 79% of microplastics near industrial areas. Higher concentrations were observed in winter and autumn, near industrial zones and ports, suggesting a predominantly land-based origin.
Statistical analysis of effects of MSC Zoe incident on populations of protected species in Wadden Sea and North Sea.
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Following the 2019 cargo ship accident that spilled plastic pellets near the Dutch Wadden Sea, researchers assessed the impact on protected marine species and habitats. The spill highlighted how plastic pellet accidents can rapidly contaminate sensitive coastal ecosystems with microplastic precursors.
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