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The assessment of microplastic pollution in the shelf sediment of the Sicily and the Tuscan Islands
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Researchers found widespread microplastic pollution in seabed sediments across the shelf zones of Sicily and the Tuscan Archipelago in the Mediterranean. The study identified fibres as the dominant particle type and noted that proximity to urban and river inputs influenced contamination levels.
Mikroplastični materijal obuhvaća čestice plastike manje od 5 mm koje su prepoznate kao jedan od glavnih zagađivača, posebice u morskom okolišu. Ovaj rad pruža podatke o prisutnosti mikroplastike u sedimentima talijanskog šelfa. Analizirane su ukupno četiri jezgre sedimenta, dvije uzorkovane na području šelfa južne obale Sicilije, a dvije na području šelfa Toskanskog otočja. Sedimenti su izvagani i prosijani, te je mikroplastika uspješno odvojena od sedimenta metodom separacije na temelju gustoće za što je korištena otopina natrijevog polivolframata (SPT; Sodium polytungstat). Fizikalna i kemijska karakterizacija čestica plastike provedena je s obzirom na oblik, boju i vrstu polimera. Fragmenti su najčešća kategorija oblika mikroplastike na svim analiziranim lokacijama, dok vlakna obuhvaćaju ostatak pronađenih oblika. Dominantna boja fragmenata je siva, dok su vlakna većinom svijetlo obojena. Vrsta polimera analizirana je pomoću metode ATR (Attenuated total reflection) na FTIR-u (Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy) čime je utvrđeno kako najveći broj čestica pripada polivinil kloridu (PVC), a na drugom mjestu po zastupljenosti je etilen-vinil acetat (EVA). Čestice mikroplastike kojima nije bilo moguće odrediti vrstu polimera uglavnom su bile snimane metodom KBr tableta koja se bez dodatnih modifikacija može isključiti kao metoda za analizu mikroplastike.
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Assessment of microplastic contamination in sediments of the Sicilian shelf and Tuscan Archipelago
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This is the Italian-language version of a study assessing microplastic pollution in shelf sediments around Sicily and the Tuscan Archipelago. Researchers found significant microplastic contamination at multiple sampling sites, with fibres and fragments being the most common types detected.
First results on microfibers in marine sediments from the Gulf of Naples, Italy
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Researchers collected sediment cores from the Gulf of Naples, Italy, and analyzed them for microfibers, finding them to be the most abundant form of microplastic contamination. The study provides baseline data on microfiber accumulation in Mediterranean seafloor sediments.
Microplastics in the Mediterranean Sea: Deposition in coastal shallow sediments, spatial variation and preferential grain size
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Researchers sampled Mediterranean coastal shallow sediments and found microplastics throughout, with concentrations and polymer types reflecting land-based inputs and showing that coastal sediments are a significant regional reservoir for plastic debris.
Types, occurrence and distribution of microplastics in sediments from the northern Tyrrhenian Sea
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Microplastic contamination was found in sediments along a 31-km transect from a Tuscan port to Elba Island in the northern Tyrrhenian Sea, with filaments being the dominant type. The contamination was present near ports as well as in offshore locations, indicating widespread dispersal beyond human activity hotspots.
Abundance and characterization of microplastics in the coastal waters of Tuscany (Italy): The application of the MSFD monitoring protocol in the Mediterranean Sea
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Monitoring surveys across four transects in Tuscan coastal waters found microplastics at all stations in two seasons, with concentrations and size distributions consistent with Mediterranean Sea-wide pollution patterns. The study contributes to implementing the EU Marine Strategy Framework Directive's monitoring requirements for microplastics in the Mediterranean.
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