Occurrence and identification of microplastics along a beach in the Biosphere Reserve of Lanzarote
This work studied the accumulation of plastic debris in a remote beach located in La Graciosa island (Chinijo archipelago, Canary Islands). Microplastics were sampled in the 1&#-5&;8239#mm mesh opening range. An average plastic density of 36.3 g/m2 was obtained...
| Authors: | , , , , , , , , , , |
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| Format: | article |
| Publication Date: | 2019 |
| Country: | España |
| Institution: | Universidad de Alcalá (UAH) |
| Repository: | e_Buah Biblioteca Digital Universidad de Alcalá |
| Language: | English |
| OAI Identifier: | oai:ebuah.uah.es:10017/46247 |
| Online Access: | http://hdl.handle.net/10017/46247 https://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.marpolbul.2019.04.061 |
| Access Level: | Open access |
| Keyword: | Marine debris Marine pollution Microplastics FTIR Raman Química Chemistry |
| Summary: | This work studied the accumulation of plastic debris in a remote beach located in La Graciosa island (Chinijo archipelago, Canary Islands). Microplastics were sampled in the 1&#-5&;8239#mm mesh opening range. An average plastic density of 36.3 g/m2 was obtained with a large variability along the 90 m of the beach (from 8.5 g/m2 to 103.4 g/m2). Microplastic particles preferentially accumulated in the part of the beach protected by rocks. A total number of 9149 plastic particles were collected, recorded and measured, 87% of which corresponded to fragments. Clear colours and microscopic evidence of weathering corresponded to aged plastics wind-driven by the surface Canary Current. The chemical composition of plastics particles corresponded to PE (63%), PP (32%) and PS (3%). Higher PE/PP ratios were recorded in the more protected parts of the beach, suggesting preferential accumulation of more aged fragments. |
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