AI Article Synopsis
- Research focused on plastic debris pollution on Gran Canaria beaches to identify origins and types of microplastics (0.01-1 mm, 1-5 mm) and mesoplastics (5-25 mm).
- Findings revealed high percentages of fragments and foams in larger plastic fractions, with accumulation patterns linked to environmental factors like waves and currents.
- Smaller microplastic fibers displayed a distinct distribution, implying local sources of contamination related to wastewater and beach activities.
Article Abstract
In order to understand the origin of plastic debris pollutants that accumulate in the Canary Islands coastline, six beaches of Gran Canaria Island were studied during different seasons to estimate the abundance and the types of two microplastics fraction sizes (0.01-1 mm and 1-5 mm) and mesoplastics fraction (5-25 mm). For the larger fraction of microplastics and mesoplastics, a high percentage of fragments and foams were found; moreover, both fractions show the same accumulation pattern in relation with the wave, wind, and current. The debris was checked for exogenous and local origins. Moreover, for the smaller fraction of microplastics, only natural, semi-synthetic, and synthetic fibres were found, showing a totally different spatial distribution from the others fractions. This result suggests a possible endogenous origin of the contamination, in relation to the type and amount of wastewater discharges and beach users.
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| http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.marpolbul.2020.110967 | DOI Listing |
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