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Microplastic pollution in Brazil's coastal marine surface waters: The first macroregional baseline from the global south

Marine Pollution Bulletin 2025
Thiarlen Marinho da Luz, Rafaela Ribeiro de Brito, Rafaela Ribeiro de Brito, Raíssa de Oliveira Ferreira, Ariane Guimarães, Bárbara Beatriz da Silva Nunes, Aline Sueli de Lima Rodrigues, Abraão Tiago Batista Guimarães, Ítalo Nascimento Freitas, Stênio Gonçalves da Silva Matos, Élida Priscila Bogéa Carvalho, Juliana dos Santos Mendonça, Christine C. Gaylarde, Jessica de Freitas Delgado, Bruno da Silva Pierri, Andrés H. Arias, Omar Cruz-Santiago, Ivandilson Pessoa Pinto de Menezes, Maria Betânia Melo de Oliveira, Bruno da Cruz Pádua, Bruno da Cruz Pádua, Letícia Paiva de Matos, Giuliano Buzá Jacobucci, Estefan Monteiro da Fonseca, Neuciane Dias Barbosa, Alex Rodrigues Gomes, Wesley Rodrigues Soares, Guilherme Malafaia

Summary

Researchers conducted the largest microplastic survey in the Global South, sampling 4,134 surface water sites across 7,500 km of Brazilian coastline, finding the highest concentrations in the Eastern Coastline (16.87 MPs/L) and lowest in the Amazonian Equatorial region (1.29 MPs/L), with spatial patterns driven by hydrodynamic conditions, salinity, proximity to sewage, and anthropogenic inputs.

We conducted the largest microplastic (MP) survey ever conducted in the Global South, covering ≈7500 km of the Brazilian coastline and collecting 4134 surface water samples from 1024 beaches across 213 municipalities in 17 states (April 2023-April 2024). Samples were grouped into five coastal macroregions-Amazonian Equatorial, Northeastern, Eastern, Southeastern, and Southern-to align responses and predictors. MPs were quantified by epifluorescence microscopy after Nile Red staining and Calcofluor White/Evans Blue counterstaining, under rigorous quality control procedures. Concentrations showed pronounced spatial heterogeneity, with the Eastern Coastline reaching 16.87 MPs/L, followed by the Northeastern (6.95), Southeastern (5.25), Southern (3.36), and Amazonian Equatorial (1.29 MPs/L). Regional contrasts reflected hydrodynamic and anthropogenic influences: the Eastern sector, characterized by high salinity, elevated pH, and proximity to sewage outlets and highways, exhibited maximum accumulation; the Amazonian Equatorial region, with low salinity, high chlorophyll a, and enhanced surface velocity, showed dissipative conditions and vertical export; and the Southern coast displayed low loads associated with wide shelves and greater distance from point sources. Morphometric analysis revealed a gradient from larger, degraded particles in high-abundance regions to smaller, intact particles in low-abundance regions. Network analysis indicated sparse connectivity in the Eastern Coastline and denser, multi-factorial interactions in the Northeastern and Southeastern regions. These findings establish the first macroregional quantitative baseline of MP pollution in Brazilian marine surface waters, providing a standardized reference for future large-scale monitoring and interregional comparisons.

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