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Occurrence and recovery of small-sized plastic debris from a Brazilian beach: characterization, recycling, and mechanical analysis.
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Small plastic debris was collected from beaches near a protected national park in northeast Brazil and characterized for recycling potential, despite natural weathering degradation. The study raises awareness about the dual challenge of microplastic pollution in ecologically sensitive coastal areas and the difficulty of recovering degraded materials.
Small-sized plastic debris are an increasing global concern, particularly in environmental protected areas. Consequently, tourism-based economy of poor coastal regions is also impaired. Nevertheless, little interest has been shown about recycling approaches of such materials, mostly because of the natural degradation of polymers on these conditions. This research presents the report of the occurrence of plastic debris nearby Lençóis Maranhenses National Park, on the northeast Brazilian coast, aiming to provide a feasible method for recycling. We collected more than 80 samples from the sediment and classified them via FT-IR. Degraded polypropylene samples were selected for blending with virgin material using different concentration rates, and were mechanically tested. Tensile testing results suggest that 5% recycled material concentration mixture has suitable mechanical properties on the elastic regime for applications on new parts. Our findings show that particular interest should be addressed on the recovery of commodity plastic debris from environmental protected areas.
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Litter assessment on sandy beaches along the Brazilian coast: a large-scale analysis of macrolitter and microplastics
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Researchers conducted a large-scale assessment of macrolitter and microplastic contamination on sandy beaches along the Brazilian coast, characterizing pollution patterns, dominant polymer types, and potential anthropogenic sources across multiple sites.
Microplastics on Santos Beach: Sources of Pollution, Waste Characteristics and Possible Collection Solutions
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Researchers characterized microplastics collected from three zones of Santos beach in Brazil, finding contamination dominated by fragments and films near sewage outfalls. The study highlights inadequate waste management as the primary driver of beach microplastic accumulation and assessed feasibility of mechanical collection interventions.
Microplastics Beach Pollution: Composition, Quantification and Distribution on the Southern Coast of Brazil
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Researchers quantified microplastic pollution on a southern Brazilian beach, finding an average of 650 MPs/kg of sediment with highest concentrations near the Mampituba River mouth, dominated by polyethylene, polypropylene, and polyamide particles in the 50–100 µm range. The findings confirm that riverine transport is a major pathway delivering microplastics to coastlines, underscoring the need for upstream source control to protect coastal ecosystems.
First Evidence of High Microplastic Concentrations in Estuarine Litter Windrows of a World Heritage Site: The Paranaguá Estuarine Complex, Brazil
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Surface water sampling across the Paranaguá Estuarine Complex, a UNESCO World Heritage Site in Brazil, detected microplastics throughout the system, with estuarine litter windrows acting as accumulation hotspots at nearly ten times the average estuarine concentration. The presence of microplastics at a protected World Heritage site demonstrates that plastic pollution respects no conservation boundaries, and that windrow dynamics are a key driver of MP hotspot formation in transitional coastal ecosystems.
Seasonal Variations in Microplastic Pollution in Beach Sediments along the Eastern Coast of Rio de Janeiro State, Brazil
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A survey of 27 beaches along Rio de Janeiro's eastern coast found microplastics on every beach, with winter counts (2,987 particles) nearly five times higher than summer (562 particles), driven by seasonal wind and wave dynamics, with fragments and fibers of polyethylene and polypropylene dominating. The seasonal variation reveals that MP exposure for coastal wildlife and beachgoers fluctuates dramatically with environmental conditions, complicating risk assessments tied to any single sampling window.
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When a large batch of papers lands in the Atlas, we read through it and send a short write-up of what stood out.