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Microplastic contamination in the sediments of Qarasu estuary in Gorgan Bay, south-east of Caspian Sea, Iran
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Researchers found microplastic concentrations of 40-460 particles per kg in sediments of the Qarasu estuary in Iran's Gorgan Bay, with fibers dominating at 72% and polypropylene as the most common polymer at 33%. Stations with high microplastic abundance showed significant correlation with clay content, suggesting fine sediment acts as a sink for plastic particles.
Given the important ecological role of estuaries and implications of microplastics (MPs) in ecosystems, we assessed the occurrence, abundance, size, and polymer types of MPs present in the sediments of the Qarasu estuary in 2019. MPs were extracted from sediments by density separation, after which they were detected under a stereomicroscope and considered according to shape, size and color. Identification was implemented using Fourier-Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FT-IR). The abundance and size of MPs in the samples ranged between 40 and 460 particles/kg and 200-5000 μm, respectively. The dominant shape of MPs was fiber (72%), followed by fragment (26%) and film (2%). Black and white were the most abundant colors with 48% and 29%, respectively. In total, 4 MPs polymers including polypropylene (33%), polyethylene (24%), polyamide (21%), and polystyrene (14%) were identified. Results from PCA showed that stations with a high abundance of microplastics had a significant correlation with the amount of clay.
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