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Microplastics in sediments: a comparison within zones located worldwide with different impact

Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research) 2024
Inmaculada Bernal, Inmaculada Bernal, Beatriz Rios-Fuster, Carme Alomar, Carme Alomar, Sérgio Luis Costa Ferreira, Natalia Sánchez-García, Estíbaliz Calleja-Setién, Salud Deudero, Salud Deudero

Summary

Researchers collected 25 sediment samples from six coastal areas worldwide spanning depths from 1 to 426 meters during 2022 and 2023 to compare microplastic abundance in zones with different levels of anthropogenic impact. They found a mean microplastic concentration of 308.81 items per kg dry weight across all sites, ranging from 20.79 items per kg in touristic Palma, Mallorca to 872.95 items per kg in the highly urbanized Ilha da Mare in Brazil, with fibers comprising approximately 95% of detected particles.

Study Type Environmental

Marine sediments suffer daily from the impact of marine and terrestrial anthropogenic activities. The presence of microplastics in the marine environment is increasing in all its compartments, and as a consequence of several processes, most of these particles sink into the seabed. The present study aims to quantify and compare the abundance of microplastics in sediment samples collected in several world areas with different anthropogenic and natural impacts. A total of 25 samples from 6 coastal areas were collected during 2022 and 2023 in depths ranging from 1 to 426.52 m. A high diversity of sediment between locations was detected according to the Udden-Wentworth classification. Preliminary results show a mean value of 308.81 ± 418.29 items kg−1 D.W. when considering all study areas of the present study. Microplastic abundance ranges from 20.79 items kg−1 D.W. in Palma (Mallorca), characterized by a high touristic activity during summer months, to 872.95 items kg−1 D.W. in Ilha da Maré (Todos os Santos Bay, Brazil), the most urbanized area of the study areas considered in the present study. No correlation between the abundance of microplastics and depth was found (R2 = -0.043, p-value ¿ 0.05). Moreover, results from this study indicate once more that fibres are the main category of microplastics observed in sediments, being 95.2 Also see: https://micro2024.sciencesconf.org/559612/document

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