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Occurrence of anthropogenic microparticles in soils of teide national park
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Researchers detected anthropogenic microparticles including synthetic fibers and plastic fragments in soils of Teide National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site in Tenerife that receives nearly 4 million visitors annually despite protective legislation. The presence of plastic particles in this strictly protected alpine site illustrates how visitor activity introduces microplastic contamination even in legally protected environments.
Teide National Park (Tenerife, Canary Islands, Spain) is a 190 km2 alpine area listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site due to its enormous natural and cultural relevance. Consequently, it is subjected to numerous protective legislations, and is also far from industrial zones and big cities. However, being the most visited Spanish National Park, it may be influenced by the occurrence of anthropogenic pollutants, mainly plastic and microplastic. Moreover, as Teide Volcano is the highest point in the Atlantic Ocean islands, it may serve as a destination for synthetic microfibres transported over long distances by meteorological phenomena. This study aims to evaluate the extent of pollution by microplastics and other anthropogenic microparticles in the soils of Teide National Park. To achieve this goal, a systematic sampling was designed to collect 78 samples covering the majority of the park's surface. Upon arrival at the laboratory, soils were processed in triplicate using a sequential digestion, flotation, and filtration protocol. This process aimed to release microparticles from the soil matrixes and retain them on 50 mm filters. Magnification from a stereomicroscope facilitated the identification of artificial items and their classification according to common criteria (morphology, colour, and size). Additionally, micro Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy analysis uncovered their chemical nature. Occurrence of pollutants ranged from 0 to approximately 1500 items per kg of dry soil, and colourless cellulosic microfibres were the most common particles found. In summary, this study reveals for the first time the existence of microplastics in soils of a European National Park, demonstrating that remote, pristine, and protected areas are not safe from human pollution. Acknowledgements: This research was funded by the Canarina Foundation, MICROTEI project. J.G.S. thanks ACIISI for the contract from the Viera y Clavijo program at the University of La Laguna (85 Also see: https://micro2024.sciencesconf.org/559448/document
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