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First Report on Occurrence and Characterization of Microplastics in Feces of Larus armenicus (Buturlin, 1934) in the Lake Van Basin (Eastern Anatolia, Türkiye)
Summary
Scientists found tiny plastic pieces in the poop of gulls living near a lake in Turkey, with over 8,000 plastic particles detected in the bird droppings they studied. The plastics came from common materials like shopping bags and food containers, showing how widespread plastic pollution has become in nature. This matters because these birds eat similar foods to humans and live in areas where people get their food and water, suggesting plastic pollution could also be affecting human health.
Microplastics (MPs) are widespread worldwide and have become a significant environmental problem due to their durability and the large quantities that enter ecosystems. As the global spread of microplastic pollution continues, the Armenian gull (Larus armenicus) in the Lake Van Basin has emerged as an important bioindicator. This study highlights the widespread impact of human-generated waste on natural habitats by detecting the presence of microplastics in gull feces using a non-invasive, polymer-supported method. Methods: The study was conducted between 10 May 2024 and 26 April 2025. A total of 480 fecal samples were analyzed from four stations with different characteristics and exposed to various anthropogenic effects. Instead of individual-level statistical inference, we performed temporal comparisons descriptively at the composite level. Results: We categorized suspected MPs by type, shape, size, and color, using FTIR to confirm the polymer identity of a representative subset (>300 µm; ~20%) and SEM–EDX to examine particle surfaces. A total of 8197 MP particles were observed in the feces collected from the stations. The most frequently observed MP type, size, shape and color were fiber (32.6%), 100–300 µm (30.8%), spherical (29.2%) and brown (18.4%), respectively. The chemical structures of all examined MPs were polyethylene (PE) (42.6%), polystyrene (PS) (28.38%) and polyethylene terephthalate (PET) (8.5%). SEM-EDX confirmed that the microplastics are polymers by showing their degraded surface and carbon/oxygen ratio. Conclusions: Identifying polymer species in ingested plastics is valuable for future studies, as the results can be used to assess the relationship between microplastics.