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Small microplastics on beaches of Fernando de Noronha Island, Tropical Atlantic Ocean

Ocean and Coastal Research 2020 25 citations ? Citation count from OpenAlex, updated daily. May differ slightly from the publisher's own count. Score: 30 ? 0–100 AI score estimating relevance to the microplastics field. Papers below 30 are filtered from public browse.
Juliana A. Ivar do Sul Juliana A. Ivar do Sul Juliana A. Ivar do Sul Juliana A. Ivar do Sul Mônica F. Costa, Juliana A. Ivar do Sul Raqueline Cristina Pereira Monteiro, Juliana A. Ivar do Sul Mônica F. Costa, Juliana A. Ivar do Sul Juliana A. Ivar do Sul Raqueline Cristina Pereira Monteiro, Juliana A. Ivar do Sul Mônica F. Costa, Mônica F. Costa, Juliana A. Ivar do Sul Juliana A. Ivar do Sul Juliana A. Ivar do Sul Juliana A. Ivar do Sul Juliana A. Ivar do Sul Mônica F. Costa, Raqueline Cristina Pereira Monteiro, Juliana A. Ivar do Sul Juliana A. Ivar do Sul Juliana A. Ivar do Sul Juliana A. Ivar do Sul Juliana A. Ivar do Sul Juliana A. Ivar do Sul Raqueline Cristina Pereira Monteiro, Mônica F. Costa, Mônica F. Costa, Mônica F. Costa, Mônica F. Costa, Mônica F. Costa, Mônica F. Costa, Mônica F. Costa, Mônica F. Costa, Mônica F. Costa, Juliana A. Ivar do Sul Mônica F. Costa, Mônica F. Costa, Mônica F. Costa, Mônica F. Costa, Mônica F. Costa, Mônica F. Costa, Mônica F. Costa, Mônica F. Costa, Juliana A. Ivar do Sul Juliana A. Ivar do Sul Juliana A. Ivar do Sul Mônica F. Costa, Mônica F. Costa, Mônica F. Costa, Mônica F. Costa, Mônica F. Costa, Raqueline Cristina Pereira Monteiro, Mônica F. Costa, Mônica F. Costa, Mônica F. Costa, Mônica F. Costa, Mônica F. Costa, Mônica F. Costa, Mônica F. Costa, Juliana A. Ivar do Sul Juliana A. Ivar do Sul Mônica F. Costa, Mônica F. Costa, Mônica F. Costa, Mônica F. Costa, Mônica F. Costa, Mônica F. Costa, Juliana A. Ivar do Sul Juliana A. Ivar do Sul Juliana A. Ivar do Sul Juliana A. Ivar do Sul Juliana A. Ivar do Sul Juliana A. Ivar do Sul

Summary

Researchers characterized small microplastics (under 1mm) on 15 beaches of Fernando de Noronha Island in the tropical Atlantic, a protected Brazilian oceanic island. Synthetic fibers were the most common type found, with both windward and leeward beaches contaminated, demonstrating that even remote, protected islands are not free from microplastic pollution.

Study Type Environmental

Oceanic islands are important areas of environmental, social, economic, and scientific interest. Therefore, it is essential to identify pollutants in these environments, including large (1 mm to ≤ 5 mm) and small microplastics (SMP) (1 µm to ≤ 1 mm). Here, SMP were identified and characterized in the windward (WW) and leeward (LW) beaches of Fernando de Noronha Island. Samples were collected from 900 cm2 quadrants on the strandline of 15 sandy beaches and were sieved through stainless steel sieves with 1 mm mesh. The SMP were characterized according to their shape, colour, and size. Synthetic fibres and fragments were identified, and synthetic fibres were predominant. Statistical differences were not found between the WW and LW beaches (160.0±137.5 particles m-2 and 128.0±84.3 particles m-2, respectively; Mann-Whitney U test: U=198.5; p=0.81) in relation to the total amount of SMP deposited on the beaches. Also, both types/shapes were present in the two groups of beaches (Friedman’s test, X2r=6.09; p=0.91). The environmental forcings controlling the transport and potential deposition of synthetic fibres may have been different from those acting on fragments that more resembled the grains of sand in the beaches. Although it is difficult to prevent allochthonous sources of SMP at the small scale, management actions on the island are mandatory to prevent autochthonous sources.

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