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The Presence of Microplastics in Animal Wildlife and Water Sources in “Komchén de los Pájaros,” a Dedicated Conservation Area
Summary
Researchers found microplastics — including polystyrene, polyethylene, polyurethane, and other polymers — in both water sources and wildlife feces within a protected conservation area in Mexico. The findings show that plastic contamination penetrates even dedicated wildlife sanctuaries, with animals ingesting and excreting plastic particles.
Komchén de los Pájaros is a 740-acre Area Voluntarily Dedicated for Conservation (AVDC) located in the municipality of Dzemul, in the north of the state of Yucatán, Mexico. This area is important because it contributes to the conservation of flora and wildlife. Although AVDCs are protected, little is known about the presence, distribution and prevalence of anthropogenic nano and micro pollutants such as metal nanoparticles and microplastics. We carried out an initial study to identify microplastics in Komchén de los Pájaros. Samples of water supply sites and feces from wildlife were analyzed using Nile red staining, optical microscopy, and Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) coupled to attenuated total reflection (ATR) to characterize the microplastics present. Results showed microplastics with granular, fibrous, amorphous, and granulated morphology in the four water supply sites and in animal stools. Fibers were the main shapes. ATR FT-IR identified five different types of microplastics: elastomers, polystyrene, high-density polyethylene (HDPE), cellulolytic polymers, and polyurethane. HDPE was only identified in the animal feces. This is the first report of the presence of MPs in water wells and animal feces in the conservation area Komchén de los Pájaros.