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Quantification of Microplastics in North-Western Mediterranean Harbors: Seasonality and Biofilm-Related Metallic Contaminants
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Scientists measured microplastic concentrations in three Mediterranean harbors across seasons, finding higher levels in summer (coinciding with peak boating activity) and detecting heavy metals associated with plastic biofilms. Harbors are identified as significant hotspots for microplastic pollution that spreads into surrounding coastal waters.
The Mediterranean Sea is one of the most impacted basins in terms of microplastics pollution. Land-based activities are the major sources of plastic litter to the ocean, with harbors probably representing significant hotspots. In the framework of the SPlasH! project (Stop alle Plastiche in H2O, Interreg Marittimo project), microplastics were sampled in three north-western Mediterranean harbors during summer and winter. In this study, the areal concentrations of microplastics ranged from 5576 to 379,965 items·km−2. A decreasing gradient was observed from the inner to the outer zones of the studied harbors, pointing out these enclosed systems as hotspots regarding microplastic pollution. During summer, the areal concentrations of microplastics were higher than in winter, which could be explained by an enhancement of port activities leading to MPs production. The investigation of microplastics size classes distribution in the surface waters revealed that microplastics within the size range between 300 µm and 500 µm were the least represented. In this study, we assessed trace metal (Pb, Fe, Cu, V, Cd and As) bioaccumulation by the biofilm which developed on the surface of microplastics. The results highlighted that concentrations within the biofilm were higher than those in the surrounding waters. This result strongly suggested trace metal bioaccumulation on microplastics through biofilm formation. When trace metal concentrations were normalized over the corresponding surface of microplastics and macroplastics, higher values were obtained for microplastics, evidencing their enhanced capacities to bioaccumulate contaminants when compared to macroplastics.
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Quantification of Microplastics in North-Western Mediterranean Harbors: Seasonality and Biofilm-related Metallic Contaminants
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Researchers quantified microplastic concentrations in northwestern Mediterranean harbours across seasons. They found that microplastic abundance fluctuated with season and was influenced by factors such as rainfall, wind, and nearby human activities.
Microplastics as vectors of metals contamination in Mediterranean Sea
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Researchers collected zooplankton from Mediterranean Sea sites and measured metal concentrations associated with ingested microplastics, finding elevated cadmium, lead, and nickel on MP surfaces compared to surrounding water, demonstrating that MP-bound metals become available to zooplankton and could biomagnify up the food chain.
Microplastics spatiotemporal distribution and variability in marine habitats along the North-Western Mediterranean coastal waters.
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Researchers assessed microplastic spatiotemporal distribution across multiple Mediterranean marine habitat types including water surface, sediment, and biota, revealing significant variability by location and season. The multi-compartment approach showed that no single habitat type captures the full extent of microplastic contamination.
Microplastic pollution in Italian South Adriatic Harbor Areas
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Researchers surveyed microplastic pollution at four Italian Adriatic ports and nearby beaches in summer 2021, finding polyethylene as the dominant plastic type. Commercial and fishing ports showed higher contamination than tourism ports, pointing to boat activity and fishing gear as key pollution sources.
Microplastics Spatiotemporal Distribution and Abundance in Water and Sediments from the Bay of Marseille
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A two-year study of the Bay of Marseille found microplastics in both surface waters and sediments across all seven sampling stations, with concentrations varying by season and location. Urban runoff and proximity to the coastline were associated with higher microplastic levels. The Mediterranean Sea, heavily bordered by dense populations, continues to show widespread and persistent microplastic contamination.
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