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Microplastic pollution on the strandline of urban and natural city beaches: The role of local activities
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Researchers measured microplastic concentrations in beach strandlines at urban and natural city beaches in Spain, finding higher contamination at urban beaches. Local activities like water sports and tourism were identified as key factors influencing microplastic deposition patterns.
The worldwide production of plastics has been reported to grow from 335 million t in 2016 up to 348 million t in 2017, giving employment to over 1.5 million people in Europe. Plastic materials have changed our way of life because of their versatility, high durability and ability to be moulded in different shapes. For that reason, when discarded in the marine environment, plastics and especially microplastics can become an environmental hazard.
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Beached microplastics in barcelonas shorelines
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Researchers surveyed beached microplastics along Barcelona's shorelines to characterize the types, abundance, and distribution of plastic particles accumulating on urban Mediterranean beaches, contributing data to the growing body of evidence on coastal microplastic pollution in densely populated areas.
Beached microplastics in barcelonas shorelines
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Researchers characterized beached microplastics along Barcelona's shorelines, assessing abundance, morphology, color, and polymer composition of particles accumulating on urban Mediterranean beaches. The study contributed to understanding how coastal urbanization and high plastic production rates affect microplastic deposition in a densely populated shoreline environment.
Microplastic levels on sandy beaches: Are tourism and coastal recreational activities effects really important?
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Researchers assessed microplastic levels at six sites across three Argentine sandy beaches with varying tourism intensity, finding concentrations averaged 1,133 items/kg in sand and 12.7 items/m3 in seawater, dominated by PE films and PET/cotton fibers. Contrary to expectations, the highest microplastic concentrations and smallest particles were found at a low-activity 'pristine' site, suggesting river proximity and coastal drift rather than tourism are the dominant local pollution drivers.
Effects of distance to the sea and geomorphological characteristics on the quantity and distribution of microplastics in beach sediments of Granada (Spain)
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Researchers characterized microplastic pollution on three beaches along the Granada coast of Spain, examining how distance from the sea and geomorphological features influence microplastic quantity and polymer composition in beach sediments. The study establishes regional baseline contamination levels and identifies spatial distribution patterns relevant to national and EU marine pollution directives.
Microplastics in surface waters surrounding a touristic beach at the Gulf of California, Mexico
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Researchers measured microplastic concentrations in surface waters around a popular tourist beach in Mexico's Gulf of California, finding that particle levels roughly doubled after spring vacation compared to before. Fibers were the most abundant type, and concentrations were highest closest to tourist activity. The results directly link human recreational activity to spikes in coastal microplastic pollution, underscoring the role of tourism in contaminating marine environments.
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.