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Microplastic and tar pollution on three Canary Islands beaches: An annual study

Marine Pollution Bulletin 2017 133 citations ? Citation count from OpenAlex, updated daily. May differ slightly from the publisher's own count. Score: 40 ? 0–100 AI score estimating relevance to the microplastics field. Papers below 30 are filtered from public browse.
Ico Martínez Ico Martínez Alicia Herrera, May Gómez, May Gómez, May Gómez, Alicia Herrera, Alicia Herrera, Alicia Herrera, Alicia Herrera, Alicia Herrera, Alicia Herrera, Alicia Herrera, Alicia Herrera, Alicia Herrera, Alicia Herrera, Alicia Herrera, Maite Asensio, May Gómez, Alicia Herrera, Alicia Herrera, Alicia Herrera, Alicia Herrera, Ico Martínez Alicia Herrera, Alicia Herrera, Ico Martínez May Gómez, Alicia Herrera, Alicia Herrera, Alicia Herrera, Ico Martínez May Gómez, Maite Asensio, May Gómez, Maite Asensio, Alicia Herrera, Ico Martínez Alicia Herrera, May Gómez, May Gómez, May Gómez, May Gómez, May Gómez, Alicia Herrera, May Gómez, May Gómez, Maite Asensio, Maite Asensio, Theodore T. Packard, Ico Martínez Ico Martínez Ico Martínez Ico Martínez Alicia Herrera, Ico Martínez Ico Martínez Ico Martínez Ico Martínez Ico Martínez Ico Martínez Ico Martínez May Gómez, May Gómez, May Gómez, May Gómez, May Gómez, May Gómez, May Gómez, Alicia Herrera, Ico Martínez Ico Martínez Ico Martínez Ico Martínez Ico Martínez Ico Martínez Ico Martínez Ico Martínez Ico Martínez Ico Martínez Theodore T. Packard, Maite Asensio, Ángelo Santana, Maite Asensio, Alicia Herrera, Theodore T. Packard, Theodore T. Packard, Ico Martínez Ico Martínez Ico Martínez May Gómez, Ico Martínez Ico Martínez Ico Martínez May Gómez, May Gómez, Ico Martínez Ico Martínez Ángelo Santana, Ico Martínez Ico Martínez Ico Martínez May Gómez, May Gómez, May Gómez, Theodore T. Packard, Alicia Herrera, Alicia Herrera, Alicia Herrera, Ico Martínez May Gómez, Theodore T. Packard, May Gómez, Maite Asensio, May Gómez, Maite Asensio, Theodore T. Packard, May Gómez, May Gómez, May Gómez, May Gómez, Alicia Herrera, Alicia Herrera, Alicia Herrera, Alicia Herrera, May Gómez, May Gómez, Theodore T. Packard, May Gómez, May Gómez, May Gómez, May Gómez, May Gómez, May Gómez, May Gómez, Alicia Herrera, Alicia Herrera, Ico Martínez Alicia Herrera, May Gómez, May Gómez, May Gómez, May Gómez, May Gómez, May Gómez, May Gómez, May Gómez, Alicia Herrera, Alicia Herrera, Alicia Herrera, Alicia Herrera, Alicia Herrera, Alicia Herrera, Alicia Herrera, Alicia Herrera, Alicia Herrera, May Gómez, Alicia Herrera, Alicia Herrera, May Gómez, Alicia Herrera, May Gómez, May Gómez, Theodore T. Packard, May Gómez, May Gómez, May Gómez, Ico Martínez Alicia Herrera, Ico Martínez

Summary

Researchers monitored large microplastics, mesoplastics, and tar pollution across three exposed Canary Islands beaches for a full year, finding great spatial and temporal variability in debris concentrations driven by seasonal patterns and local oceanographic conditions.

Study Type Environmental

Marine debris accumulation was analyzed from three exposed beaches of the Canary Islands (Lambra, Famara and Las Canteras). Large microplastics (1-5mm), mesoplastics (5-25mm) and tar pollution were assessed twice a month for a year. There was great spatial and temporal variability in the Canary Island coastal pollution. Seasonal patterns differed at each location, marine debris concentration depended mainly of local-scale wind and wave conditions. The most polluted beach was Lambra, a remote beach infrequently visited. The types of debris found were mainly preproduction resin pellets, plastic fragments and tar, evidencing that pollution was not of local origin, but it cames from the open sea. The levels of pollution were similar to those of highly industrialized and contaminated regions. This study corroborates that the Canary Islands are an area of accumulation of microplastics and tar rafted from the North Atlantic Ocean by the southward flowing Canary Current.

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