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Looking under the microscope: who is the main plastic polluter on the coast of Slovenia?
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This Slovenian study investigated the occurrence, distribution, and polymer composition of microplastics in beach sediments, comparing 2017 samples to earlier data and identifying the dominant sources of plastic pollution along the Slovenian Adriatic coast. The study found microplastics at all surveyed beaches, with fragments and fibers being the most common types.
Marine litter is attracting attention of scientists and environmentalists worldwide, as it is easily entering the marine environment through river runoff, sewage systems or winds. Accordingly, ports, industries, maritime and road traffic, tourism and agriculture are the main producers of litter. Synthetic plastic products are particularly hazardous to the environment, as they are fragmenting into numerous tiny microplastics under the influence of intense solar radiation and mechanical agitation. Microplastics can originate from larger plastic items (i.e. secondary microplastics) or are entering the marine environment as primary microplastics. A steadily growing number of publications and reports are documenting the continuous littering of the marine environment and the consequences of microplastics on marine biota. In this study, the occurrence, distribution and composition of microplastics is being investigated in sediments of Slovenian beaches. Sediment samples were collected in March 2017 and are currently being analysed for comparison with results from a previous study conducted in July 2012. Microplastics are recovered from sediments by density separation and filtration. The particles are analysed by infrared spectroscopy to identify the polymer type of the plastics. Microplastics are abundant in Slovenian beach sediments. Most of the items are of irregular shape, including fibres, films and fragments, indicating that the particles mostly constitute secondary microplastics. In the previous study, it has been proven that tourism is not the main producer of microplastics. Accordingly, major polluters of the Slovenian coast are yet to be identified. The applied approach will provide in-depth information on the plastic pollution on the coast of Slovenia. The data generated in this project will be of societal importance, as pollution tends to reduce the aesthetic value of the environment and can, thus, reduce revenues from Slovenian tourism.
More Papers Like This
Microplastics at the strandlines of Slovenian beaches
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Researchers collected sediment samples from nine locations along the Slovenian Adriatic coast and found microplastics at all sites, with 11.3% of isolated particles confirmed as synthetic polymers by ATR-FTIR, dominated by polyethylene and polypropylene fragments and fibers.
Macrodebris and microplastics from beaches in Slovenia
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Researchers surveyed both macrodebris on beaches and microplastics in shoreline and sublittoral sediments in Slovenia, providing the first such dataset for this short Adriatic coastline. The study found plastic contamination present even in areas with low tourism activity, suggesting diffuse sources beyond local littering.
Distribution and characterization of microplastics in marine sediments from the Montenegrin coast
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Researchers characterized microplastic distribution in marine sediments along the Montenegrin coast, providing the first assessment of microplastic pollution status in this understudied region of the Adriatic Sea.
Karakterizacija mikroplastike iz sedimenata plaže
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Researchers characterized microplastics in beach sediment samples from Croatia, finding diverse shapes, colors, and polymer types consistent with fragmented packaging and textile debris. The study contributes to understanding microplastic contamination on Adriatic Sea beaches.
Microplastic at Slovenian beaches: study repeated
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This study repeated a 2012 baseline survey of microplastic occurrence and composition on Slovenian beaches, providing one of the first temporal comparisons of beach microplastic pollution at the same sites over multiple years. The repeat study helps characterize whether and how microplastic pollution levels at specific coastal locations change over time.
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.