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Floating Microplastics in the Northwestern Mediterranean Sea: Temporal and Spatial Heterogeneities
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Floating microplastic concentrations in the northwestern Mediterranean showed significant spatial and temporal variation at small scales near coastal river mouths, with levels spiking after rainfall events that flush plastics from land into the sea. This heterogeneity means that single-point measurements dramatically underestimate total microplastic loads, calling for more intensive and dynamic monitoring strategies in heavily polluted enclosed seas.
Mediterranean sea is one of the most sampled areas for floating microplastics (MPs). However, only few investigations have been conducted at small spatial and temporal scales in coastal areas. To fill this gap, MPs (< 5 mm) were collected off the mouth of two...
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A large-scale survey of floating microplastics across multiple sub-basins of the Mediterranean Sea revealed significant variation in both abundance and polymer composition—with polyethylene and polypropylene dominating—reflecting different pollution sources and oceanographic circulation patterns in each region. This spatial heterogeneity demonstrates that the Mediterranean cannot be treated as a uniform pollution zone and that sub-basin-scale monitoring is necessary to understand sources, transport, and accumulation of microplastics in semi-enclosed seas.
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