Beached microplastics at the Bahia Blanca Estuary (Argentina): Plastic pellets as potential vectors of environmental pollution by POPs.
Mar Pollut Bull
; 187: 114520, 2023 Feb.
Article
in En
| MEDLINE
| ID: mdl-36610302
ABSTRACT
Microplastics (MPs) from the coastal areas of a highly anthropised estuary were sampled to assess their distribution in coastal sediments and their role as potential vectors of pollution. The average MP density was 1693 ± 2315 MPs/kg, which mainly accumulated in the high tide and storm berm areas of the beach. The Microplastic Pollution Index (MPPI), Microplastic Impact Coefficient (CMPI), Hierarchical Cluster Analysis and Principal Component Analysis revealed spatial variation in MPs pollution. High-density polyethylene plastic pellets were abundant at two beaches (192 ± 218 MPs/kg sediment). Furthermore, the presence of sorbed chemicals on pellets was assessed through GC-MS, showing 0.95 ± 0.09 ng/g of ∑7OCPs, 4.03 ± 0.89 ng/g of ∑7PCBs, 108.76 ± 12.88 ng/g of ∑16 PAHs and 122.79 ± 11.13 g/g of ∑29 PAHs. The sorption capacity of plastics, combined with their abundance, poses an environmental concern and also highlights their suitability as indicators of chemical exposure.
Key words
Full text:
1
Collection:
01-internacional
Database:
MEDLINE
Main subject:
Plastics
/
Water Pollutants, Chemical
Country/Region as subject:
America do sul
/
Argentina
/
Brasil
Language:
En
Journal:
Mar Pollut Bull
Year:
2023
Document type:
Article