AI Article Synopsis
- - The study found that all juvenile Magellanic penguins stranded in southern Buenos Aires Province, Argentina, exhibited debris pollution, particularly plastic items, with each bird containing 33 to 200 pieces of debris.
- - Microparticles made up 91% of the debris observed, primarily consisting of fibers, with black and transparent particles being the most common colors.
- - The research identified a significant percentage of the observed particles as plastics, with polypropylene and polyester being the most prevalent, suggesting that stranded Magellanic penguins could serve as effective indicators for assessing plastic pollution in the South Atlantic.
Article Abstract
This paper provides the first evidence of debris pollution, including plastic, in juvenile Magellanic penguins (Spheniscus magellanicus) found stranded on the Atlantic coast of southern Buenos Aires Province, Argentina. Macro-, meso- and microparticles of anthropogenic origin were observed in 100 % of the studied birds, with debris abundance ranging between 33 and 200 items/bird. Microparticles represented 91 % of the total debris and 97 % of them were fibers. Black particles were the most abundant (30 %), followed by transparent (26 %), blue (14 %), yellow (10.3 %), and red (10 %). Infrared and Raman spectroscopy identified 62.7 % of the total particles as plastics, with polypropylene (27.8 %) and polyester (21.6 %) being the most abundant polymers. Semi-synthetic cellulosic fibers, metallic particles, and pigments were also found. The presence of metallic microparticles was suggested for the first time in penguins. Stranded juvenile Magellanic penguins are proposed as promising bioindicators of plastic pollution in the South Atlantic.
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| http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.marpolbul.2023.114628 | DOI Listing |
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Article Synopsis
- - The study found that all juvenile Magellanic penguins stranded in southern Buenos Aires Province, Argentina, exhibited debris pollution, particularly plastic items, with each bird containing 33 to 200 pieces of debris.
- - Microparticles made up 91% of the debris observed, primarily consisting of fibers, with black and transparent particles being the most common colors.
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