Articles producció científica> Enginyeria Química

Microplastics levels, size, morphology and composition in marine water, sediments and sand beaches. Case study of Tarragona coast (western Mediterranean)

  • Identification data

    Identifier: imarina:9220599
    Authors:
    Exposito, NoraRovira, JoaquimSierra, JordiFolch, JaumeSchuhmacher, Marta
    Abstract:
    Mediterranean Sea has been proposed as the sixth greatest accumulation zone for marine litter and the most affected regarding to microplastics (MPs). Tarragona (Catalonia, NE Spain) coastal region suffers high pressure due to urbanization, tourism, industrial harbour and petrochemical/plastic industries. The present study aims to quantify and characterize in size, morphology and composition the MPs present in sandy beaches, marine sediments, and surface seawaters of Tarragona coastal region. MPs mean abundance were 1.30 items/m(3) in surface seawaters, 32.4 items/kg in marine sediments, and 10.7 items/kg in sandy beaches. Polyester fibres were dominant MPs in bottom sediments and seawater meanwhile polyethylene and polypropylene fragments were the main MPs in beaches. The fibres balls associated with bottom sediments, organic matter and plankton were abundant, masking the real quantity of fibres in each reservoir. The abundance by volume of seawater MPs was higher to those found in oceanic areas and similar to other areas of Mediterranean Sea, corroborating that Western Mediterranean Sea as a region of MPs accumulation. MPs composition and abundance suggested the input of numerous land-base-sources, WWTP (wastewater treatment plants) effluents discharges, and emissaries as the most important. Marine MPs pollution were studied from an integrative point of view, that indudes superficial sea water, sand from beaches and sediments. The dynamics of MPs in Tarragona coast were characterized by seawater as the media that receive and facilitate dispersion and fragmentation. The shoreline acts as an intermediate reservoir with constant weathering and active exchange with seawater surface and the sediments acts as a significant sink for medium MPs sizes. It is necessary to develo
  • Others:

    Author, as appears in the article.: Exposito, Nora; Rovira, Joaquim; Sierra, Jordi; Folch, Jaume; Schuhmacher, Marta
    Department: Enginyeria Química Ciències Mèdiques Bàsiques Bioquímica i Biotecnologia
    URV's Author/s: Exposito Lorenzo, Nora / Folch Lopez, Jaume / Rovira Solano, Joaquim / Schuhmacher Ansuategui, Marta
    Keywords: Wastewater treatment Waste water treatment plant Transport Surface waters Surface water Submarine geology Spatial-distribution Size Sediments Sediment pollution Sediment Seawater Seashore Sea-surface Sea water Sea Reservoirs (water) Protected area Priority journal Polypropylenes Polypropylene Polyethylene Polyester Plastic waste Plastic pollutions Plastic pollution Plastic additives Plankton Particle size Organic matter Morphology and composition Morphology Microplastics Microplastic Mediterranean sea Marine sediments Marine pollution Marine litter Intertidal zones Intertidal zone Intertidal environment Floating microplastics Effluents Dispersion Debris Costal area Coastal zones Coastal zone Coastal regions Chemical structure Chemical composition Beaches Beach Article Accumulation Abundance
    Abstract: Mediterranean Sea has been proposed as the sixth greatest accumulation zone for marine litter and the most affected regarding to microplastics (MPs). Tarragona (Catalonia, NE Spain) coastal region suffers high pressure due to urbanization, tourism, industrial harbour and petrochemical/plastic industries. The present study aims to quantify and characterize in size, morphology and composition the MPs present in sandy beaches, marine sediments, and surface seawaters of Tarragona coastal region. MPs mean abundance were 1.30 items/m(3) in surface seawaters, 32.4 items/kg in marine sediments, and 10.7 items/kg in sandy beaches. Polyester fibres were dominant MPs in bottom sediments and seawater meanwhile polyethylene and polypropylene fragments were the main MPs in beaches. The fibres balls associated with bottom sediments, organic matter and plankton were abundant, masking the real quantity of fibres in each reservoir. The abundance by volume of seawater MPs was higher to those found in oceanic areas and similar to other areas of Mediterranean Sea, corroborating that Western Mediterranean Sea as a region of MPs accumulation. MPs composition and abundance suggested the input of numerous land-base-sources, WWTP (wastewater treatment plants) effluents discharges, and emissaries as the most important. Marine MPs pollution were studied from an integrative point of view, that indudes superficial sea water, sand from beaches and sediments. The dynamics of MPs in Tarragona coast were characterized by seawater as the media that receive and facilitate dispersion and fragmentation. The shoreline acts as an intermediate reservoir with constant weathering and active exchange with seawater surface and the sediments acts as a significant sink for medium MPs sizes. It is necessary to develop protocols and guidelines for MPs analysis to obtain harmonized and comparable results. (C) 2021 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
    Thematic Areas: Zootecnia / recursos pesqueiros Waste management and disposal Saúde coletiva Química Pollution Odontología Nutrição Medicina veterinaria Medicina iii Medicina ii Medicina i Materiais Matemática / probabilidade e estatística Interdisciplinar Historia Geografía Geociências Farmacia Environmental sciences Environmental engineering Environmental chemistry Ensino Engenharias iii Engenharias ii Engenharias i Enfermagem Direito Ciências biológicas iii Ciências biológicas ii Ciências biológicas i Ciências ambientais Ciências agrárias i Ciência de alimentos Ciência da computação Biotecnología Biodiversidade Astronomia / física
    licence for use: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/es/
    Author's mail: nora.exposito@urv.cat joaquim.rovira@urv.cat nora.exposito@urv.cat nora.exposito@urv.cat jaume.folch@urv.cat marta.schuhmacher@urv.cat
    Author identifier: 0000-0003-4399-6138 0000-0002-5051-8858 0000-0003-4381-2490
    Record's date: 2024-10-12
    Papper version: info:eu-repo/semantics/acceptedVersion
    Link to the original source: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0048969721025249?via%3Dihub
    Licence document URL: https://repositori.urv.cat/ca/proteccio-de-dades/
    Papper original source: Science Of The Total Environment. 786 147453-
    APA: Exposito, Nora; Rovira, Joaquim; Sierra, Jordi; Folch, Jaume; Schuhmacher, Marta (2021). Microplastics levels, size, morphology and composition in marine water, sediments and sand beaches. Case study of Tarragona coast (western Mediterranean). Science Of The Total Environment, 786(), 147453-. DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2021.147453
    Article's DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2021.147453
    Entity: Universitat Rovira i Virgili
    Journal publication year: 2021
    Publication Type: Journal Publications
  • Keywords:

    Environmental Chemistry,Environmental Engineering,Environmental Sciences,Pollution,Waste Management and Disposal
    Wastewater treatment
    Waste water treatment plant
    Transport
    Surface waters
    Surface water
    Submarine geology
    Spatial-distribution
    Size
    Sediments
    Sediment pollution
    Sediment
    Seawater
    Seashore
    Sea-surface
    Sea water
    Sea
    Reservoirs (water)
    Protected area
    Priority journal
    Polypropylenes
    Polypropylene
    Polyethylene
    Polyester
    Plastic waste
    Plastic pollutions
    Plastic pollution
    Plastic additives
    Plankton
    Particle size
    Organic matter
    Morphology and composition
    Morphology
    Microplastics
    Microplastic
    Mediterranean sea
    Marine sediments
    Marine pollution
    Marine litter
    Intertidal zones
    Intertidal zone
    Intertidal environment
    Floating microplastics
    Effluents
    Dispersion
    Debris
    Costal area
    Coastal zones
    Coastal zone
    Coastal regions
    Chemical structure
    Chemical composition
    Beaches
    Beach
    Article
    Accumulation
    Abundance
    Zootecnia / recursos pesqueiros
    Waste management and disposal
    Saúde coletiva
    Química
    Pollution
    Odontología
    Nutrição
    Medicina veterinaria
    Medicina iii
    Medicina ii
    Medicina i
    Materiais
    Matemática / probabilidade e estatística
    Interdisciplinar
    Historia
    Geografía
    Geociências
    Farmacia
    Environmental sciences
    Environmental engineering
    Environmental chemistry
    Ensino
    Engenharias iii
    Engenharias ii
    Engenharias i
    Enfermagem
    Direito
    Ciências biológicas iii
    Ciências biológicas ii
    Ciências biológicas i
    Ciências ambientais
    Ciências agrárias i
    Ciência de alimentos
    Ciência da computação
    Biotecnología
    Biodiversidade
    Astronomia / física
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