Spatio-temporal distribution of cigarette butt contamination in urban beaches with varying levels of use.

This study assessed the extent of cigarette butt contamination on two urban beaches in Recife-PE (Pernambuco State, Brazil) with varying levels of use. The study considered degradation levels and evaluated whether the brands varied by time, space, and beaches use. Ten transects (1.

Temporal analysis of environmental quality of Ponta Negra beach (Natal-RN) related to coastal erosion: what has changed in 10 years?

Ponta Negra beach is one of the main tourist destinations in the state of Rio Grande do Norte (Brazil), which is used by many tourists. This study aimed to perform a temporal analysis of the environmental quality of the beach related to coastal erosion, considering environmental and anthropic parameters at two different times, 10 years apart. The total length of the beach (3 km) was subdivided into 10 sections of approximately 300 m numbered 1-10, from south to north.

Microplastic pollution in sediments of tropical shallow lakes.

Forty-eight tropical shallow lakes (depth ≤ 4 m) across a climatic gradient were assessed for microplastic (MPs; <5 mm) pollution based on MPs concentrations in archive samples from lake shore sediments. The MPs were classified by type (fragments or fibres), colour (yellow, black, red, green, blue, white, and transparent), size (0.55 to 4.

Microplastics ingestion by a common tropical freshwater fishing resource.

Microplastics pollution is widespread in marine ecosystems and a major threat to biodiversity. Nevertheless, our knowledge of the impacts of microplastics in freshwater environments and biota is still very limited. The interaction of microplastics with freshwater organisms and the risks associated with the human consumption of organisms that ingested microplastics remain major knowledge gaps.

Plastic litter on an urban beach---a case study in Brazil.

Beaches are subject to solid waste contamination at the strandline. Litter depositional dynamics is influenced by specific beach morphology and sources of solid wastes. The amount of items on the strandline of Boa Viagem beach (Recife, Brazil) was evaluated during dry and rainy seasons of 2005 to characterize their sources and depositional patterns.