1
|
Oliveira S, Krelling AP, Turra A. Contamination by microplastics in oysters shows a widespread but patchy occurrence in a subtropical estuarine system. MARINE POLLUTION BULLETIN 2024; 203:116380. [PMID: 38733889 DOI: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2024.116380] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/06/2023] [Revised: 04/10/2024] [Accepted: 04/13/2024] [Indexed: 05/13/2024]
Abstract
Microplastics (MPs) have been widely documented in marine biota, with a notable presence in bivalve species. This study examines microplastic (MP) contamination in oysters across a subtropical estuarine system, revealing widespread and highly variable levels of contamination. Our results indicate a general trend of higher contamination in areas with greater anthropogenic impact, and unexpectedly high values in remote Marine Protected Areas, suggesting alternative sources of MPs. We observed a 94.31 % frequency of occurrence and an average contamination level of 8.16 ± 6.39 MP.ind-1, 1.06 ± 1.28 MP.g-1ww, and 7.54 ± 6.55 MP.g-1dw. Transparent fibers, predominantly composed of polyester and polyethylene from likely textile origins, were the most common. The findings underscore the significance of MP pollution in marine environments, even in protected zones. For enhanced spatial assessment and consistent data comparison, we recommend that future studies include MP quantities in terms of dry weight (MP.g-1dw) and biometric data such as size and weight.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Suzane Oliveira
- Federal University of Paraná (UFPR), Center for Marine Studies (CEM), Coastal and Oceanic Systems Postgraduate Program (PGSISCO), Av. Beira-Mar, s/n, 83255-976 Pontal do Paraná, Paraná, Brazil; Federal University of Paraná (UFPR), Scientific and didactic laboratories of Setor Litoral. R. Jaguariaíva, 512, 83260-000 Matinhos, Paraná, Brazil.
| | - Allan Paul Krelling
- Federal University of Paraná (UFPR), Center for Marine Studies (CEM), Coastal and Oceanic Systems Postgraduate Program (PGSISCO), Av. Beira-Mar, s/n, 83255-976 Pontal do Paraná, Paraná, Brazil; Federal Institute of Paraná (IFPR), Paranaguá Campus, Natural Resources Department, Antônio Carlos Rodrigues St. 453, 83215-750 Paranaguá, Paraná, Brazil
| | - Alexander Turra
- Federal University of Paraná (UFPR), Center for Marine Studies (CEM), Coastal and Oceanic Systems Postgraduate Program (PGSISCO), Av. Beira-Mar, s/n, 83255-976 Pontal do Paraná, Paraná, Brazil; University of São Paulo (USP), Department of Biological Oceanography, Oceanographic Institute (IOUSP), Praça do Oceanográfico, 191, 05508-120 São Paulo, SP, Brazil
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Santucci L, Fernández-Severini MD, Rimondino GN, Colombo CV, Prieto G, Forero-López AD, Carol ES. Assessment of meso- and microplastics distribution in coastal sediments and waters at the middle estuary of the Rio De La Plata, Argentina (SW Atlantic Ocean). THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2024; 914:170026. [PMID: 38218486 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2024.170026] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/22/2023] [Revised: 01/03/2024] [Accepted: 01/07/2024] [Indexed: 01/15/2024]
Abstract
Estuarine coastal water and sediments collected from multiple locations within the middle Río de la Plata (RDLP) estuary were analyzed in order to identify the presence of microplastics (MPs, <5 mm) and mesoplastics (MePs, 5-25 mm) in one of the most significant estuaries in the Southwestern Atlantic. The present study represents one of the first researches to survey MPs and MePs contamination in key stations at RDLP estuary. Average concentrations of 14.17 ± 5.50 MPs/L and 10.00 MePs/L were detected in water samples, while 547.83 ± 620.06 MPs/kg (dry weight) and 74.23 ± 47.29 MePs/kg d.w. were recorded in sediments. The greatest abundances were observed in the more anthropized areas, near urban settlements. Fibers were the most conspicuous plastic items in water and sediments, followed by fragments. On the other hand, surface sediments, and 50 cm and 100 cm-depth sediments also presented MPs and MePs indicating they could serve as a stratigraphic indicator for recently formed sediments. The main polymer type identified were acrylic fibers, followed by polypropylene (PP) and polyethylene terephthalate (PET). Besides, SEM-EDX detected the presence of Si, Fe, Ti, Al and Cl onto the plastics' surface. These elements may serve as additives to enhance the plastics' properties, such as in the case of Ti, or they could originate from the environment, like biogenic Si or Fe, and Al possibly as a component of the suspended particles or sediments adhered to the micro or meso plastics. Finally, the results of the present study showed that MPs and MePs are commonly found in waters and also tend to be trapped in sediments of the RDLP estuary supporting the assertion that these areas play a substantial role in influencing the transport, dispersion, and buildup of MPs in estuarine regions.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- L Santucci
- Centro de Investigaciones Geológicas (CIG), CONICET/UNLP, CCT-La Plata, Buenos Aires, Argentina.
| | - M D Fernández-Severini
- Instituto Argentino de Oceanografía (IADO), CONICET/UNS, CCT-Bahía Blanca, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - G N Rimondino
- Instituto de Investigaciones en Fisicoquímica de Córdoba (INFIQC), Departamento de Fisicoquímica, Facultad de Ciencias Químicas, Universidad Nacional de Córdoba, Ciudad Universitaria, Córdoba, Argentina
| | - C V Colombo
- Instituto Argentino de Oceanografía (IADO), CONICET/UNS, CCT-Bahía Blanca, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - G Prieto
- Departamento de Ingeniería, Universidad Nacional del Sur, Bahía Blanca, Argentina (IFISUR), Universidad Nacional del Sur, CONICET, Bahía Blanca, Argentina
| | - A D Forero-López
- Instituto Argentino de Oceanografía (IADO), CONICET/UNS, CCT-Bahía Blanca, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - E S Carol
- Centro de Investigaciones Geológicas (CIG), CONICET/UNLP, CCT-La Plata, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Summers E, Du J, Park K, Kaiser K. How does buoyancy behavior impact microplastic transport in an estuarine environment? THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2023; 899:165687. [PMID: 37487890 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.165687] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/09/2023] [Revised: 07/11/2023] [Accepted: 07/19/2023] [Indexed: 07/26/2023]
Abstract
Much is still unknown about the transport behavior of microplastic pollutants within the marine environment, particularly smaller scale coastal systems such as estuaries. Through the use of a Lagrangian particle-tracking model coupled with a validated 3D hydrodynamic model, we examined the transport, pathway and ultimate fate of microplastic particles, both in an idealized estuary and Galveston Bay, Texas, USA. Emphasis was placed on differences based on settling behavior (neutrally versus negatively buoyant), use of random walk for diffusion processes, and release location. For Galveston Bay, settling behavior had a noteworthy impact on both the transport pathway of microplastic particles, as well as overall time spent within the bay. Particles with negative buoyancy were retained approximately seven times longer than those with neutral buoyancy. Negatively buoyant particles also showed a tendency to be dispersed eastward to Trinity Bay through the bottom baroclinic flow, while neutrally buoyant particles took a more direct route along the ship channel to the mouth of the bay. Idealized model simulations suggest impact of settling depends on the vertical mixing strength. For a system with stronger tidal mixing, negatively buoyant particles with small settling velocities may still behave similarly to neutrally buoyant particles, and differences only become apparent for particles that sink rather quickly (> 10 m d-1). Future sea-level rise or channel deepening tends to flush out neutrally buoyant particles more quickly, while increasing the retention time for negatively buoyant particles. Our results suggest that plastics within estuaries could show substantially different behavior depending on their buoyancy characteristics, highlighting a need to quantify specific settling velocities of plastic pollutants entering the coastal estuarine system.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Emily Summers
- Department of Oceanography, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77840, United States of America; Department of Marine and Coastal Environmental Science, Texas A&M University at Galveston, Galveston, TX 77554, United States of America.
| | - Jiabi Du
- Department of Marine and Coastal Environmental Science, Texas A&M University at Galveston, Galveston, TX 77554, United States of America
| | - Kyeong Park
- Department of Oceanography, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77840, United States of America; Department of Marine and Coastal Environmental Science, Texas A&M University at Galveston, Galveston, TX 77554, United States of America
| | - Karl Kaiser
- Department of Oceanography, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77840, United States of America; Department of Marine and Coastal Environmental Science, Texas A&M University at Galveston, Galveston, TX 77554, United States of America
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Hossain MB, Yu J, Nur AAU, Banik P, Jolly YN, Mamun MA, Paray BA, Arai T. Distribution, characterization and contamination risk assessment of microplastics in the sediment from the world's top sediment-laden estuary. JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT 2023; 344:118472. [PMID: 37384995 DOI: 10.1016/j.jenvman.2023.118472] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/11/2023] [Revised: 06/18/2023] [Accepted: 06/19/2023] [Indexed: 07/01/2023]
Abstract
Microplastics (MPs) have gained a serious attention as an emerging contaminant throughout the world because of their persistence and possible risks to aquatic ecosystems and human well-being. However, knowledge on MPs contamination from sub-tropical coastal systems is limited, and no study has been conducted on the MPs contamination in sediment from one of the highest sediment-laden estuaries, Meghna River, in the world. This is the first study to examine the quantity, morpho-chemical characteristics and contamination risk level of MPs from this large scale river. MPs were extracted from the sediment samples of 10 stations along the banks of the estuary by density separation, and then characterized using a stereomicroscope and Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy. The incidence of MPs varied from 12.5 to 55 item/kg dry sediment with an average of 28.67 ± 10.80 item/kg. The majority (78.5%) of the MPs were under 0.5 mm in size, with fibers being the most (74.1%) prevalent MPs type. Polypropylene (PP) was found to be the predominant polymer (53.4%), followed by polyethylene (PE, 20%), polystyrene (PS, 13.3%), and polyvinyl chloride (PVC, 13.3%). The highest occurrence of PP indicted the MPs in the estuary might be originated from clothing and dying industries, fishing nets, food packages, and pulp industries. The sampling stations were contaminated with MPs as shown by the contamination factor (CF) values and pollutant load index (PLI), both of which were >1. This study exposed new insights on the status of MPs in the sediments of the Meghna River, laying the groundwork for future research. The findings will contribute to estimate the global share of MPs to the marine environment.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- M Belal Hossain
- School of Engineering and Built Environment, Griffith University, Brisbane, QLD, Australia; Department of Fisheries and Marine Science, Noakhali Science and Technology University, Noakhali-3814, Bangladesh.
| | - Jimmy Yu
- School of Engineering and Built Environment, Griffith University, Brisbane, QLD, Australia
| | - As-Ad Ujjaman Nur
- Department of Fisheries and Marine Science, Noakhali Science and Technology University, Noakhali-3814, Bangladesh
| | - Partho Banik
- Department of Fisheries and Marine Science, Noakhali Science and Technology University, Noakhali-3814, Bangladesh
| | - Yeasmin N Jolly
- Atmospheric and Environmental Chemistry Laboratory, Chemistry Division, Atomic Energy Centre Dhaka, Bangladesh Atomic Energy Commission, Dhaka, Bangladesh
| | - Md Al- Mamun
- Materials Science Division, Atomic Energy Centre Dhaka, Bangladesh Atomic Energy Commission, Dhaka, 1000, Bangladesh
| | - Bilal Ahamad Paray
- Department of Zoology, College of Science, King Saud University, PO Box 2455, Riyadh, 11451, Saudi Arabia
| | - Takaomi Arai
- Environmental and Life Sciences Programme, Faculty of Science, Universiti Brunei Darussalam, Jalan Tungku Link, Gadong BE1410, Brunei Darussalam
| |
Collapse
|
5
|
Pasquier G, Doyen P, Dehaut A, Veillet G, Duflos G, Amara R. Vertical distribution of microplastics in a river water column using an innovative sampling method. ENVIRONMENTAL MONITORING AND ASSESSMENT 2023; 195:1302. [PMID: 37828146 DOI: 10.1007/s10661-023-11915-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/25/2023] [Accepted: 09/28/2023] [Indexed: 10/14/2023]
Abstract
Due to limitations of sampling methods, subsurface water is usually a less well-investigated compartment of the water column when scientists assess microplastic contamination. In this study, microplastic (MP) contamination was assessed in a freshwater river both in surface and subsurface using an innovative sampling method. Microplastic contamination in the lower part of the water column, i.e., near-bottom water and in sediments, was also studied. Three sampling campaigns were carried out during different weather conditions: stormy, rainy, and dry in order to observe their influence on the microplastics vertical distribution. No significant difference was observed between the abundance and types of MPs in surface and subsurface water. The proportion of polymer with theoretical density < 1 (polypropylene d = 0.9, polyethylene d = 0.91-0.95) and polystyrene (d = 0.1-1.06) in the surface and subsurface samples was 73.5%, and this proportion drops to 40.8% for the samples located in the near-bottom water and the sediments. Our results indicate that the MP concentration of the different compartments analyzed can be significantly influenced by rainfall during and prior to the sampling day. This study highlights that in shallow rivers, surface water sampling is representative of the water column MP contamination, but that sampling without taking environmental conditions into account may lead to erroneous estimation of MPs concentration and flux entering the marine environment.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Gabriel Pasquier
- Univ. Littoral Côte d'Opale, CNRS, IRD, Univ. Lille, UMR 8187-LOG-Laboratoire d'Océanologie et de Géosciences, F-62930, Wimereux, France.
| | - Périne Doyen
- Univ. Littoral Côte d'Opale, UMRt 1158 BioEcoAgro, USC ANSES, INRAe, Univ. Artois, Univ. Lille, Univ. Picardie Jules Verne, Univ. Liège, Junia, 62200, Boulogne-Sur-Mer, France
| | - Alexandre Dehaut
- ANSES-Laboratoire de Sécurité des Aliments, Boulevard du Bassin Napoléon, F-62200, Boulogne-Sur-Mer, France
| | - Guillaume Veillet
- Univ. Littoral Côte d'Opale, CNRS, IRD, Univ. Lille, UMR 8187-LOG-Laboratoire d'Océanologie et de Géosciences, F-62930, Wimereux, France
| | - Guillaume Duflos
- ANSES-Laboratoire de Sécurité des Aliments, Boulevard du Bassin Napoléon, F-62200, Boulogne-Sur-Mer, France
| | - Rachid Amara
- Univ. Littoral Côte d'Opale, CNRS, IRD, Univ. Lille, UMR 8187-LOG-Laboratoire d'Océanologie et de Géosciences, F-62930, Wimereux, France
| |
Collapse
|