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Occurrence and assessment of emerging contaminants adsorbed onto microplastic debris in the Macaronesia region
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This three-year coordinated study characterized emerging contaminants adsorbed onto microplastic debris (pellets and fragments) collected from 32 beaches across Macaronesia (Canary Islands, Madeira, Azores, Cabo Verde). UV filters, UV stabilizers, and other hydrophobic organic chemicals were consistently detected on plastic debris, with concentrations varying by plastic type and beach location.
The occurrence and accumulation of microplastics in the aquatic environment has becomes a global problem. These microplastics can adsorb on their superficies other hydrophobic organic chemicals surrounding and act as vectors for the transport of these contaminants and transfer to organisms. This study presents the first coordinated comprehensive three-year spatial-temporal assessment of the occurrence and distribution of emerging contaminants adsorbed on microplastic debris collected from 32 beaches across of Macaronesia (Canary Islands, Madeira, Azores, and Cabo Verde). Two types of microplastic debris (pellets and fragments) were analysed for 34 contaminants using previously established analytical procedures. These included twelve UV filters (UVFs) and UV stabilizers (UVSs) commonly added to personal care products; thirteen steroid hormones and nine pharmaceutical compounds. Concentrations were typically in the nanograms per gram range, obtaining highest concentrations for UV compounds, followed by hormones and, in much lower concentration, pharmaceuticals, possibly due to their hydrophilic nature. The most frequently detected compounds of each family were octocrylene (UVFs), levonorgestrel (hormones) and caffeine (pharmaceuticals) found in 69.12 %, 36.65 % and 29.89 % of the samples, respectively. This study presents a unique multi-archipelago dataset revealing unexpected contamination patterns including significant high concentrations of UV compound even on uninhabited and protected beaches such as Achados Beach (Santa Luzia, Cabo Verde), suggesting the influence of long-range oceanic transport. The findings underscore the ecological risks posed by key pollutants like octocrylene associated with plastics in insular ecosystems. This baseline data is crucial to inform mitigation strategies, including the regulation of UV filters in coastal and marine environments.
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Researchers evaluated the sorption of emerging pollutants including steroid hormones and UV filters onto beach microplastics collected from Gran Canaria, Spain, examining how microplastics act as vectors for endocrine-disrupting compounds and personal care product ingredients in coastal environments. The study found measurable accumulation of these contaminants on beach microplastics, demonstrating a combined pollution risk from plastic particles and their sorbed chemical cargo.
Emerging pollutants sorbed on beach microplastics. Evaluation in the coast of gran canaria (spain)
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Researchers collected and analyzed microplastics from six beaches around Gran Canaria monthly from January to April 2024, examining their role as vectors for emerging pollutants including steroid hormones and UV filters from sunscreens using ultrasonic assisted extraction and UHPLC-MS/MS. They found the highest microplastic counts on the north and east beaches and detected significant concentrations of endocrine-disrupting compounds sorbed onto the plastic surfaces, raising concerns about combined ecological impacts.
UV filters and UV stabilisers adsorbed in microplastic debris from beach sand
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Researchers detected UV filters and UV stabilizers adsorbed onto microplastic debris collected from beach sand, demonstrating that personal care product contaminants partition onto plastic particles and may be transported and concentrated in marine environments.
Plastic occurrence in Macaronesia: Three years of monitoring on forty-six beaches across nineteen islands in an Atlantic region
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Researchers conducted a three-year seasonal monitoring campaign across 46 beaches on 19 Macaronesian islands, collecting over 271,000 plastic items and documenting average microplastic concentrations of 1,760 items/m2, with the Canary Islands showing the highest contamination, polyethylene and polypropylene fragments dominating, and five new plastic accumulation hotspots identified.
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Researchers analyzed polyethylene microplastics collected from three beaches in Tenerife, Spain over nine months to identify what organic pollutants were attached to them. They detected several concerning chemicals including triclosan, bisphenol A, and UV filter compounds like oxybenzone on the plastic surfaces. The findings highlight how microplastics can act as carriers for multiple classes of environmental pollutants, potentially increasing exposure risks.
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