Abundance and distribution of microplastics on sandy beaches of Lima, Peru

Microplastic pollution is a problem of global scale, posing a threat to marine biota. To determine the current state of microplastic pollution on four popular sandy beaches of the coast of Lima, Peru, a sampling campaign was carried out in both intertidal and supralittoral zones. Microplastic abundance, type, size, color and distribution were recorded. The overall microplastic abundance was of the same order of magnitude as previous data obtained in Peru. Foams were the most abundant (78.3%) microplastic type. Statistical analyses revealed significant differences between sites and zones. High variability of microplastic abundance was found among adjacent beaches and zones. Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR) analysis revealed that all foams were identified as polystyrene. The present results revealed an alarming level of microplastics present on Peruvian sandy beaches, but information about the sources, local dynamics and impacts of microplastics in this region are scarce, and thus further research is needed.