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Identification and quantification of microplastics in surface water of a southwestern Mediterranean Bay (Al Hoceima, Morocco)
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Researchers sampled surface water in a Mediterranean bay in Morocco over three years and found microplastics at concentrations up to 15 particles per cubic meter, with polyethylene being the most common polymer — providing the first baseline data on microplastic pollution along Morocco's Mediterranean coastline.
In this study, we evaluated the pollution in Al Hoceima Bay (Southwestern Mediterranean, Morocco) by microplastics. Nine stations were investigated in 2019, 2020, and 2021, using the Manta net and the microplastics were identified and quantified with Raman Spectroscopy. The obtained results showed that fibers, fragments, pellets, and films were the predominant types of microplastics. The dominant size of microplastics ranged from 0.15 to5 mm while 0.3-0.5 mm was the most prevalent with 46.97%. Seven colours counting white and blue as dominant items were recorded. The abundance of microplastics was 1-15 items/m3, with an average of 4.70±4.50 items/m3. Four polymers dominated by Polyethylene (67.4%), Polypropylene (23.2%), Polystyrene (7.1%), and Polyethylene Terephthalates (2.3%) were identified. The spatial distribution of microplastics was variable. The abundance of microplastics was not related to the distance separating potential sources from the sampled stations. Our study provided the initial data on microplastics and their distribution along the Mediterranean coasts of Morocco, recommended for future investigations of marine pollution in the Mediterranean basin.
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Researchers monitored seasonal variation in microplastic density in Algerian surface waters of the south-western Mediterranean Sea, documenting temporal patterns in microplastic concentrations in an understudied region of the Mediterranean.
Presence, Spatial Distribution, and Characteristics of Microplastics in Beach Sediments Along the Northwestern Moroccan Mediterranean Coast
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Researchers surveyed fourteen beaches along the northwestern Moroccan Mediterranean coast and found microplastics in every sediment sample, averaging about 59 particles per kilogram of dry sand. Fibers were the dominant shape at nearly 78%, with tourism, fishing, and wastewater discharges identified as the most likely pollution sources. The findings indicate moderate but widespread microplastic contamination along this coastline.
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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.