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Microplastics in Sediments from a Sandy Beach in Costa Nova (Aveiro, Portugal)
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Researchers collected and characterized microplastics from sediments at a sandy beach in Costa Nova, Portugal, finding a variety of polymer types and particle shapes. The study documents microplastic accumulation in a European Atlantic coastal environment and provides baseline contamination data.
The main objective of this study is to perform an approximation on the microplastic pollution on a sandy beach in Costa Nova (Portugal), focused on longitudinal and cross-sectional transects. The results showed a scarce variability in data, with median concentrations ranging from 142 to 356 p/kg d.w. and 211 to 270 p/kg d.w. in cross-sectional and longitudinal transects, respectively. The predominant morphology was microspheres, which accounted for more than 90% in all samples analysed, whereas the most abundant microplastics were <200 µm in size. Microplastic contamination was higher than in other Portuguese beaches despite the moderate–low touristic pressure in Costa Nova, which led us to consider the intense commercial activity of the nearby port and the Canary and Portuguese currents as possible drivers of microplastic pollution in this area. However, this study highlights the disparity in data caused by different methodologies used when similar areas are analysed.
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Microplastics on Barra beach sediments in Aveiro, Portugal
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Researchers collected sediment samples from Praia da Barra beach in Aveiro, Portugal and found significant quantities of microplastics, with fragment and fibre morphologies dominating, linking contamination to both tourism activity and maritime traffic in this Atlantic coastal zone.
Microplastics contamination in sediments from Portuguese inland waters: Physical-chemical characterisation and distribution
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Researchers characterized microplastic contamination in sediments from Portuguese inland freshwater systems, identifying particle shapes, sizes, and polymer types to establish baseline contamination levels and inform strategies for reducing plastic accumulation in freshwater environments.
A large-scale investigation of microplastic contamination: Abundance and characteristics of microplastics in European beach sediment
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This large-scale investigation characterized microplastic contamination across a wide geographic area, documenting abundance and polymer types and providing a baseline dataset for tracking pollution trends over time.
Microplastics in coastal sediments from Southern Portuguese shelf waters
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Microplastics were found in coastal sediments collected from southern Portuguese shelf waters, with the highest concentrations near river mouths and populated coastal areas. The study provides baseline data for this Atlantic European coastline and reinforces the pattern that proximity to human settlements drives sediment microplastic loading.
Characterization of environmental microplastics present in unconsolidated sediments in coastal waters of 9 beaches on shoreline of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
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Researchers characterized environmental microplastics in unconsolidated sediments from nine beaches along the southern coast of Brazil, identifying particle abundance, morphology, color, and polymer composition. The study documented widespread microplastic contamination at all sampled coastal sites, with fragments and fibers being the dominant morphological types found in the sediment samples.
Research digests by email
When a large batch of papers lands in the Atlas, we read through it and send a short write-up of what stood out.