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Microplastics in beach sediments of the Azores archipelago, NE Atlantic
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Researchers surveyed 19 beaches across eight islands of the Azores archipelago for microplastic contamination. Fibers, mostly polyester, made up over 80% of the particles found, with the highest concentrations on Terceira Island, showing that even remote oceanic islands in the Atlantic are not spared from widespread microplastic pollution.
Oceanic islands are exposed to plastic debris that has accumulated in the open ocean, particularly in the subtropical gyres. This study investigates the abundance and typology of microplastics (from 0.1 to 5 mm) on 19 sandy beaches spread across 8 oceanic islands of the Azores archipelago. Between January and April 2016, a total of 341 particles retrieved from all beaches, were identified as microplastics. The highest concentration (50.19 ± 21.93 particles kg-1 dw) was found in Terceira Island. Beach morphology and grain size were important factors explaining microplastic concentration. Fibres were the most dominant morphology recovered (80.9 %), followed by fragments (12.3 %). Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) revealed that 41 % of the fibres consisted of polyester and 60 % of the fragments were polyethylene. This research underlines the widespread contamination of microplastics in oceanic islands of the Atlantic Ocean.
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Plastic pollution in islands of the Atlantic Ocean
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A survey of plastic pollution on beaches of Atlantic Ocean islands from the Azores to Tristan da Cunha found microplastics and macroplastics at all locations, with composition suggesting origin from both local and long-distance ocean transport. The findings confirm that even remote Atlantic islands serve as sinks for globally circulating plastic debris.
Occurrence and characteristics of microplastics on insular beaches in the Western Tropical Atlantic Ocean
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Researchers found microplastics on beaches of three remote Atlantic islands — Fernando de Noronha, Abrolhos, and Trindade — with plastic fragments predominating over fibers, demonstrating that even isolated island beaches far from population centers accumulate ocean plastic debris.
Small microplastics on beaches of Fernando de Noronha Island, Tropical Atlantic Ocean
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Researchers characterized small microplastics (under 1mm) on 15 beaches of Fernando de Noronha Island in the tropical Atlantic, a protected Brazilian oceanic island. Synthetic fibers were the most common type found, with both windward and leeward beaches contaminated, demonstrating that even remote, protected islands are not free from microplastic pollution.
Occurrence and characteristics of microplastics on insular beaches in the Western Tropical Atlantic Ocean
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Researchers sampled microplastics on beaches of three remote Brazilian oceanic islands in the western tropical Atlantic and found particles on two of the three islands, with fragments being the most common type. The presence of microplastics even on these isolated islands confirms that ocean currents carry plastic contamination far from coastal population centers.
Distribution, characteristics and short-term variability of microplastics in beach sediment of Fernando de Noronha Archipelago, Brazil
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Researchers conducted daily beach sediment sampling on Fernando de Noronha Archipelago in Brazil, documenting large spatial and temporal variability in microplastic concentrations (0.6-1,059 particles/m) and finding that remote island beaches are not protected from microplastic contamination.
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When a large batch of papers lands in the Atlas, we read through it and send a short write-up of what stood out.