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Microplastic concentration in the sediment of the Istanbul Strait (the Sea of Marmara, Türkiye)
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Researchers found high levels of microplastic pollution in the sediment of the Istanbul Strait, with concentrations ranging from 144 to 700 particles per kilogram of dry sediment, predominantly as tiny fibers less than 1 mm in size. The findings suggest that dense shipping traffic, tourism, and a population of 20 million all contribute to contamination of this critical waterway.
This study examined the microplastic (MP) pollution in the sediment of the Istanbul Strait. We also wanted to draw attention to possible sources of MP pollution by identifying the polymer types. The Istanbul Strait divides Istanbul, which is a mega city with a population of approximately 20 million, into two; thus, domestic and industrial waste is concentrated in this region. It is also located on the route of approximately 45,000 ships annually. We evaluated the impact of these contaminants in sediment in terms of microplastics. Sediment samples were taken with the Van Veen grab (surface area samples of 0.1 m2) from 15 different stations in the Istanbul Strait in October 2020. MPs were extracted from sediment samples by density separation and classified according to their shape, size, colour and polymer types. Jasco NRS 3100 model Raman micro-spectrometers were used to identify the polymer structure of the MPs. The lowest amount of MP pollution (144.4 ± 77.9 MPs/kg of dry sediment) was detected at the Karaköy station and the highest amount (700 ± 177.6 MPs/kg of dry sediment) at the Anadolufeneri station. The station with the highest amount of MP particles was shown to be the Anadolufeneri station located at the Black Sea exit of the Istanbul Strait. The predominant particle shape was shown to be fibre (97%), and the ratio of 0–1 mm particles was found to be 51.8%. Raman spectroscopy was used to identify the polymer structure of the MPs, the dominant polymer type being polyphenylene sulphide (PPS). We observed the negative effects of ship traffic, tourism, fisheries and dense populations in the Istanbul Strait in terms of MP pollution. Our findings show that the concentration is high even in regions such as Anadolu Hisarı and Rumelifeneri where there is relatively little urbanization. On the contrary, the lowest concentration is in Karaköy, where ship traffic and touristic activities are intense. The results suggest that the current system influences accumulation.
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