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Environmental status of marine plastic pollution in Spain
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This review of marine plastic pollution in Spain found that Mediterranean coastal waters, the Canary Islands, and the Bay of Biscay have the highest concentrations of microplastic contamination, with fragmented debris and pellets being the dominant forms.
The excessive use of plastic in our society is causing a massive accumulation, since it is a non-biodegradable product and with still poor recycling rates. This effect can be observed in the seas, which more and more plastic waste are accumulating. The present work is a critical review, based on all currently available literature, that reports environmental status of marine plastic pollution, especially microplastic pollution, in Spain. The three Spanish water areas with the highest presence of plastics are the Alboran Sea, the Gulf of Alicante and the vicinity of Barcelona probably related to fishing and industrial activities and high population densities. With regard to microplastic contamination on beaches in Spain, annual monitoring by the Spanish government shows contamination along the entire coast of the country, with particularly high concentrations in the Canary Islands (between 800 and 8800 particles/m2 in spring). Between 40 and 50% of the particles analyzed were pellets and the main factors postulated for the distribution of these particles are marine currents and the geomorphological characteristics. With regards to biota, ingestion of microplastics by fish has been intensely confirmed and, important differences were observed between the locations of the sampling, being bogues (Boops boops) one of the fish species more studied in Spain. Finally, the work includes a revision of European and Spanish legislation about plastics and marine pollution and some strategies to reduce this kind of contamination in Spain.
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Beneath the water column: Uncovering microplastic pollution in the sublittoral coastal sediments of the Canary Islands, Spain
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Microplastics are widespread in the Bay of Biscay across water, sediment, and marine organisms, with polypropylene, polyethylene, polyester, and polystyrene being the most common polymers. The review identifies this region as having moderate to high levels of microplastic contamination, driven by coastal urban and industrial activity.
Microplastic distribution in surface sediments along the Spanish Mediterranean continental shelf
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Researchers found microplastic contamination in coastal sediments along the Spanish Mediterranean continental shelf between Algeciras and Barcelona, with densities ranging from below detection limits to 1,380 particles per kilogram dry weight, predominantly fibers and fragments.
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This review assesses a decade of research on microplastic and mesoplastic pollution in the waters and beaches of the Canary Islands. The study highlights how the archipelago's position in the North Atlantic Subtropical Gyre makes it particularly vulnerable to oceanic transport of plastic debris from remote sources.
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.