Assessing Human Impact on Estuarine Environments: From Microplastic Detection to Foraminiferal Response

This study investigates anthropogenic pressure on estuarine environments through a multidisciplinary monitoring approach combining sedimentological, chemical, and micropaleontological analyses. Sediment cores were collected along the Entella Stream estuary in the Gulf of Tigullio (Italy), NW Mediterranean Sea, an area impacted by human activities such as waste discharges, microplastic presence, and sediment resuspension. Benthic foraminifera were analyzed for their potential as bioindicators of environmental change and contaminant presence, thanks to their ecological sensitivity and rapid turnover. While micro-Raman ($\mu$ Raman) spectroscopy did not confirm plastic agglutination on foraminiferal tests, shifts in assemblage composition reflect anthropogenic influence. This work highlights both methodological constraints and opportunities of using foraminifera as proxies in marine sediment quality assessments. Additionally, a statistical method was developed to minimize the time required for the analysis of microplastic filters in cases of extreme abundance in particles. Overall, the findings underscore the importance of standardized protocols in environmental monitoring, highlighting crucial methodological aspects for the accurate and rapid acquisition of environmental parameters.