Microplastics in beach sediments of the Azores archipelago, NE Atlantic

Clara Rodrigues; Yasmina Rodríguez; João Frias; Rita Carriço; Paula Sobral; Joana Antunes; Emily M. Duncan; Christopher K. Pham

doi:10.1016/j.marpolbul.2024.116243

Microplastics in beach sediments of the Azores archipelago, NE Atlantic

Clara Rodrigues, Yasmina Rodríguez, João Frias, Rita Carriço, Paula Sobral, Joana Antunes, Emily M. Duncan, Christopher K. Pham

MARE - Centro de Ciências do Mar e do Ambiente

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

26 Citations (Scopus)

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Abstract

Oceanic islands are exposed to plastic debris that has accumulated in the open ocean, particularly in the subtropical gyres. This study investigates the abundance and typology of microplastics (from 0.1 to 5 mm) on 19 sandy beaches spread across 8 oceanic islands of the Azores archipelago. Between January and April 2016, a total of 341 particles retrieved from all beaches, were identified as microplastics. The highest concentration (50.19 ± 21.93 particles kg−1 dw) was found in Terceira Island. Beach morphology and grain size were important factors explaining microplastic concentration. Fibres were the most dominant morphology recovered (80.9 %), followed by fragments (12.3 %). Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) revealed that 41 % of the fibres consisted of polyester and 60 % of the fragments were polyethylene. This research underlines the widespread contamination of microplastics in oceanic islands of the Atlantic Ocean.

Original language	English
Article number	116243
Number of pages	8
Journal	Marine Pollution Bulletin
Volume	201
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1016/j.marpolbul.2024.116243
Publication status	Published - Apr 2024

UN SDGs

This output contributes to the following UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

SDG 14 Life Below Water

Keywords

Macaronesia
Microplastics
North Atlantic subtropical gyre
Oceanic islands
Plastic pollution

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Microplastics in beach sediments of the Azores archipelago, NE AtlanticFinal published version, 2.88 MBLicence: CC BY

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@article{6e484745f0a64f878ad085d8fd921635,

title = "Microplastics in beach sediments of the Azores archipelago, NE Atlantic",

abstract = "Oceanic islands are exposed to plastic debris that has accumulated in the open ocean, particularly in the subtropical gyres. This study investigates the abundance and typology of microplastics (from 0.1 to 5 mm) on 19 sandy beaches spread across 8 oceanic islands of the Azores archipelago. Between January and April 2016, a total of 341 particles retrieved from all beaches, were identified as microplastics. The highest concentration (50.19 ± 21.93 particles kg−1 dw) was found in Terceira Island. Beach morphology and grain size were important factors explaining microplastic concentration. Fibres were the most dominant morphology recovered (80.9 \%), followed by fragments (12.3 \%). Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) revealed that 41 \% of the fibres consisted of polyester and 60 \% of the fragments were polyethylene. This research underlines the widespread contamination of microplastics in oceanic islands of the Atlantic Ocean.",

keywords = "Macaronesia, Microplastics, North Atlantic subtropical gyre, Oceanic islands, Plastic pollution",

author = "Clara Rodrigues and Yasmina Rodr{\'i}guez and Jo{\~a}o Frias and Rita Carri{\c c}o and Paula Sobral and Joana Antunes and Duncan, \{Emily M.\} and Pham, \{Christopher K.\}",

note = "Funding Information: The authors would like to acknowledge the funds provided by the Gallifrey Foundation and the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) through the project Azorlit (Project Number - P01495). Okeanos received national funds through the Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT) and Instituto P{\'u}blico (I.P.), under the project UIDB/05634/2020 and UIDP/05634/2020 and through the Regional Government of the Azores (M1.1.A/REEQ.CIENT{\'I}FICO UIandD/2021/010). C.K.P. was co-financed by the Operational Program AZORES 2020, through the Fund 01-0145-FEDER-000140 {\textquoteleft}MarAZ Researchers: Consolidate a body of researchers in Marine Sciences in the Azores{\textquoteright} of the European Union. Y.R. was funded by a PhD scholarship from the Regional Fund of Science and Technology, Government of the Azores (M3.1.a/F/022/2020). Joana Antunes and Paula Sobral were supported by FCT through the strategic projects UIDB/04292/2020 granted to MARE and the project LA/P/0069/2020 granted to the Associate Laboratory ARNET. Publisher Copyright: {\textcopyright} 2024 The Authors",

year = "2024",

month = apr,

doi = "10.1016/j.marpolbul.2024.116243",

language = "English",

volume = "201",

journal = "Marine Pollution Bulletin",

issn = "0025-326X",

publisher = "Elsevier",

}

TY - JOUR

T1 - Microplastics in beach sediments of the Azores archipelago, NE Atlantic

AU - Rodrigues, Clara

AU - Rodríguez, Yasmina

AU - Frias, João

AU - Carriço, Rita

AU - Sobral, Paula

AU - Antunes, Joana

AU - Duncan, Emily M.

AU - Pham, Christopher K.

N1 - Funding Information: The authors would like to acknowledge the funds provided by the Gallifrey Foundation and the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) through the project Azorlit (Project Number - P01495). Okeanos received national funds through the Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT) and Instituto Público (I.P.), under the project UIDB/05634/2020 and UIDP/05634/2020 and through the Regional Government of the Azores (M1.1.A/REEQ.CIENTÍFICO UIandD/2021/010). C.K.P. was co-financed by the Operational Program AZORES 2020, through the Fund 01-0145-FEDER-000140 ‘MarAZ Researchers: Consolidate a body of researchers in Marine Sciences in the Azores’ of the European Union. Y.R. was funded by a PhD scholarship from the Regional Fund of Science and Technology, Government of the Azores (M3.1.a/F/022/2020). Joana Antunes and Paula Sobral were supported by FCT through the strategic projects UIDB/04292/2020 granted to MARE and the project LA/P/0069/2020 granted to the Associate Laboratory ARNET. Publisher Copyright: © 2024 The Authors

PY - 2024/4

Y1 - 2024/4

N2 - Oceanic islands are exposed to plastic debris that has accumulated in the open ocean, particularly in the subtropical gyres. This study investigates the abundance and typology of microplastics (from 0.1 to 5 mm) on 19 sandy beaches spread across 8 oceanic islands of the Azores archipelago. Between January and April 2016, a total of 341 particles retrieved from all beaches, were identified as microplastics. The highest concentration (50.19 ± 21.93 particles kg−1 dw) was found in Terceira Island. Beach morphology and grain size were important factors explaining microplastic concentration. Fibres were the most dominant morphology recovered (80.9 %), followed by fragments (12.3 %). Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) revealed that 41 % of the fibres consisted of polyester and 60 % of the fragments were polyethylene. This research underlines the widespread contamination of microplastics in oceanic islands of the Atlantic Ocean.

AB - Oceanic islands are exposed to plastic debris that has accumulated in the open ocean, particularly in the subtropical gyres. This study investigates the abundance and typology of microplastics (from 0.1 to 5 mm) on 19 sandy beaches spread across 8 oceanic islands of the Azores archipelago. Between January and April 2016, a total of 341 particles retrieved from all beaches, were identified as microplastics. The highest concentration (50.19 ± 21.93 particles kg−1 dw) was found in Terceira Island. Beach morphology and grain size were important factors explaining microplastic concentration. Fibres were the most dominant morphology recovered (80.9 %), followed by fragments (12.3 %). Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) revealed that 41 % of the fibres consisted of polyester and 60 % of the fragments were polyethylene. This research underlines the widespread contamination of microplastics in oceanic islands of the Atlantic Ocean.

KW - Macaronesia

KW - Microplastics

KW - North Atlantic subtropical gyre

KW - Oceanic islands

KW - Plastic pollution

UR - https://www.scopus.com/pages/publications/85188442838

U2 - 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2024.116243

DO - 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2024.116243

M3 - Article

C2 - 38513603

AN - SCOPUS:85188442838

SN - 0025-326X

VL - 201

JO - Marine Pollution Bulletin

JF - Marine Pollution Bulletin

M1 - 116243

ER -

Microplastics in beach sediments of the Azores archipelago, NE Atlantic

Abstract

UN SDGs

Keywords

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