Characteristics of microplastics on two beaches affected by different land uses in Salamina Island in Saronikos Gulf, east Mediterranean

Tziourrou, Pavlos; Megalovasilis, Pavlos; Tsounia, M.; Karapanagioti, Hrissi K.

doi:10.1016/j.marpolbul.2019.110531

Cited by 22 publications

(11 citation statements)

References 24 publications

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“…All of them were characterized for their shape and size (Figure 12). The majority of particles found were characterized as fragments that result to be the dominant shape independently of seasonal campaign and sampling area, in agreement with several studies on MPs, collected in similar regions of the Mediterranean, including the Ligurian Sea, Gulf of Lion, Gabes, and Saronikos Gulf (Fossi et al, 2017;Schmidt et al, 2018;Tziourrou et al, 2019;Zayen et al, 2020;Adamopoulou et al, 2021). The high prevalence of fragments in surface water suggests that the microplastics derived from degradation of waste, originating from population activities, especially in proximity of densely populated coastal areas, either through rivers or landfills (Collignon et al, 2012;Pedrotti et al, 2016;Schmidt et al, 2018;Simon-Sánchez et al, 2022).…”

Section: Microplastics Properties Variabilitysupporting

confidence: 90%

Microplastics in the Mediterranean: Variability From Observations and Model Analysis

et al. 2022

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In this study, the abundance and properties (size, shape, and polymer type) of microplastics (MPs) in sea surface water samples, collected during two sampling campaigns over 2018–2019, in four coastal areas of the Mediterranean Sea (Saronikos Gulf, LIgurian Sea, Gulf of Lion, and Gabes Gulf) were investigated. Coupled hydrodynamic/particle drift model simulations with basin-scale Mediterranean and high resolution nested models were used to provide a better understanding on the variability of the abundance/size of MPs, originating from wastewater and river runoff, in the four areas. Different size classes of MPs were considered in the model, taking into account biofouling induced sinking, as a possible mechanism of MPs removal from the surface. The Gabes Gulf showed the highest mean MPs abundance (0.073–0.310 items/m2), followed by Ligurian Sea (0.061–0.134 items/m2), Saronikos Gulf (0.047–0.080 items/m2), and Gulf of Lion (0.029–0.032 items/m2). Overall, the observed MPs abundance and size distribution was reasonably well reproduced by the model in the four different areas, except an overestimation of small size contribution in Saronikos Gulf. The basin-scale simulation revealed a strong decrease of smaller size MPs in offshore areas, due to biofouling induced sinking, with larger (floating) MPs being able to travel longer distances in the open sea. A significant impact of waves drift and advection of MPs from non-local sources was identified from model simulations, particularly in the Gulfs of Lion and Gabes, having a stronger effect on larger microplastics. In Gabes Gulf, most MPs originated from offshore areas, being mainly (floating) larger size classes, as suggested by the observed quite small contribution of <1 mm particles. The MPs observed abundance distribution in each area could be partly explained by the adopted sources distribution. The modeling tools proposed in this study provide useful insight to gain a better understanding on MPs dynamics in the marine environment and assess the current status of plastic pollution on basin and regional scale to further develop environmental management action for the mitigation of plastic pollution in the Mediterranean Sea.

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Section: Microplastics Properties Variabilitysupporting

confidence: 90%

Microplastics in the Mediterranean: Variability From Observations and Model Analysis

et al. 2022

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“…Hot spotting at concentrated human recreational sites and the dendrogram results showing that similar land use type may result in analogous input sources, plastic types and colors (e.g., swimsuits, plastic innertubes, rubber flip flops, etc.) are both findings that support the concept of localized effects being a major influence on the type of materials (Tziourrou et al, 2019). For example, fibers may be more prominent where clothing is a major input, whereas fragments may be more common where there are more weathered plastic items being deposited, such as plastic bottles.…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 56%

Microplastic Pollution in Surface Waters of Urban Watersheds in Central Texas, United States: A Comparison of Sites With and Without Treated Wastewater Effluent

Stovall

Bratton

2022

Front. Anal. Sci.

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Most studies of microplastics in freshwater have investigated presence in creeks and rivers below sewage effluents and storm drains. This study examines microplastic distribution in surface waters, including springs and primary streams, located within small, urban Karst watersheds, with and without sources of wastewater treatment discharge. Study locales were in Texas, United States, either in Waco on the Brazos River or in or downstream from San Marcos on the San Marcos River. Research teams collected 800 ml surface water from four different small watersheds and an urban pond (n = 779) and filtered them through 53 μm Nitex mesh. Teams collected samples from springs or primary streams to the lower end of creeks and across stream transects based on distance from the bank and the presence of vegetation and debris. Teams also replicated samples seasonally. Stereo microscopy examined each filter for microplastic particles and subsequently color and type (i.e., fragment, fiber, or sphere). Additionally, we analyzed the influence of urbanization and land use on the origin and transport of the microplastics. Overall, the filters recovered 1,198 microplastic fibers and fragments. On average, 56.7% of all samples at each study locale contained microplastics. Particle abundance was the highest at Proctor Springs (x¯=3.38) and lowest at the pond (x¯=0.98), both headwaters. Local human use and runoff were thus potentially important factors in microplastic presence, while sewage discharge was not unilaterally the primary determinant of microplastic abundance. Peak pollution events occurred in June, September, and October, indicating seasonality of rainfall and recreation affected microplastic frequency and type.

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“…Higher accumulation of marine litter in beaches, especially of pellets, have been associated to strong winds and waves during the wet season due to backwashing events (Antunes et al 2018;Herrera et al 2018). Moreover, pellets are usually found in regions related to industrial activities (Tziourrou et al 2019), meaning that this type of plastic could result from Aveiro's district industrial zones. Fragments are also more numerous in the wet season than in the dry season.…”

Section: Characteristics Of (Micro)plastics Collected From the Sedime...mentioning

confidence: 99%

Effects of spatial and seasonal factors on the characteristics and carbonyl index of (micro)plastics in a sandy beach in Aveiro, Portugal

Prata

Reis

Paço

et al. 2020

Science of The Total Environment

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Characteristics of microplastics on two beaches affected by different land uses in Salamina Island in Saronikos Gulf, east Mediterranean

Cited by 22 publications

References 24 publications

Microplastics in the Mediterranean: Variability From Observations and Model Analysis

Microplastics in the Mediterranean: Variability From Observations and Model Analysis

Microplastic Pollution in Surface Waters of Urban Watersheds in Central Texas, United States: A Comparison of Sites With and Without Treated Wastewater Effluent

Effects of spatial and seasonal factors on the characteristics and carbonyl index of (micro)plastics in a sandy beach in Aveiro, Portugal

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