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Özşeker K, Coşkun T, Erüz C. Exploring seasonal, spatial and pathways of marine litter pollution along the Southeastern Black Sea Cost of Türkiye. Mar Pollut Bull 2024; 202:116348. [PMID: 38636341 DOI: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2024.116348] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/05/2024] [Revised: 04/04/2024] [Accepted: 04/04/2024] [Indexed: 04/20/2024]
Abstract
Spatial and temporal variations in marine litter density and composition along the Southeastern Black Sea Coast were investigated. A total of 156,371 litter items weighing 327,258.3 kg were collected. The highest frequency of litter material by number was 15,869 ± 103.88 items/m2 16 and 74.466 ± 7.23 by weight. The highest litter concentrations (77,768 items; 81,737.1 kg) were observed in autumn, mainly comprising single-use items, with plastic being the most abundant (54.05 %), followed by metal (15.69 %), and paper (10.45 %). The subcategories of plastic litter items bags, caps/lids, cigarette lighters, cosmetic packages, gloves, and plastics pieces were found to be the most abundant litter in number. According to Principal Component Analysis (PCA) and Kruskal-Wallis statistical tests (p < 0.005), significant differences in marine litter were identified among the stations and seasons. These findings offer insights for modeling studies, advocating restrictions on single-use products, and enacting legal regulations for local governance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Koray Özşeker
- Karadeniz Technical University, Institute of Marine Sciences and Technology, Trabzon, Turkiye.
| | - Tolga Coşkun
- Middle East Technical University, Biological Sciences, Limnology Laboratory, Ankara, Turkiye
| | - Coşkun Erüz
- Karadeniz Technical University, Faculty of Marine Sciences, Trabzon, Turkiye
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2
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Bekova R, Prodanov B. Assessment of beach macrolitter using unmanned aerial systems: A study along the Bulgarian Black Sea Coast. Mar Pollut Bull 2023; 196:115625. [PMID: 37813062 DOI: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2023.115625] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/10/2023] [Revised: 10/02/2023] [Accepted: 10/03/2023] [Indexed: 10/11/2023]
Abstract
Over the years, the Black Sea has been impacted by the issue of marine litter, which poses ecological and health threats. A mid-term monitoring program initiated in 2018 assessed the abundance, density, and composition of beach litter (BL) on 40 frequently visited beaches. From 2018 to 2022, there was a significant increase in average abundance, rising by 261 %. Artificial polymer materials accounted for the majority (84 %) of the litter. Land-based sources dominated 77 % of the litter. The Clean Coast Index (CCI) categorized the beaches as "moderate" with an average value of 8.9 for the period between 2018 and 2022. However, the years 2021 and 2022, during the COVID-19 epidemic, were identified as the "dirtiest period" with 11 beaches classified as "extremely dirty" due to high domestic tourist pressure. The study demonstrates a successful combination of standard in situ visual assessment supported by unmanned aerial systems for beach litter surveys.
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Affiliation(s)
- Radoslava Bekova
- Institute of Oceanology - Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, Bulgaria.
| | - Bogdan Prodanov
- Institute of Oceanology - Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, Bulgaria
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3
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Kye H, Kim J, Ju S, Lee J, Lim C, Yoon Y. Microplastics in water systems: A review of their impacts on the environment and their potential hazards. Heliyon 2023; 9:e14359. [PMID: 36950574 PMCID: PMC10025042 DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2023.e14359] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/29/2022] [Revised: 03/01/2023] [Accepted: 03/01/2023] [Indexed: 03/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Microplastics, the microscopic plastics, are fragments of any type of plastic that are being produced today as plastic waste originating from anthropogenic activities. Such microplastics are discharged into the environment, and they enter back into the human body through different means. The microplastics spread in the environment due to environmental factors and the inherent properties of microplastics, such as density, hydrophobicity, and recalcitrance, and then eventually enter the water environment. In this study, to better understand the behavior of microplastics in the water environment, an extensive literature review was conducted on the occurrence of microplastics in aquatic environments categorized by seawater, wastewater, and freshwater. We summarized the abundance and distribution of microplastics in the water environment and studied the environmental factors affecting them in detail. In addition, focusing on the sampling and pretreatment processes that can limit the analysis results of microplastics, we discussed in depth the sampling methods, density separation, and organic matter digestion methods for each water environment. Finally, the potential hazards posed by the behavior of aging microplastics, such as adsorption of pollutants or ingestion by aquatic organisms, due to exposure to the environment were also investigated.
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4
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Chen F, Ma J, Zhong Z, Liu H, Miao A, Zhu X, Pan K. Silicon Limitation Impairs the Tolerance of Marine Diatoms to Pristine Microplastics. Environ Sci Technol 2023; 57:3291-3300. [PMID: 36799767 DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.2c09305] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
Marine diatoms are currently facing increasing threats from microplastic (MP) pollution that is intertwined with the disturbed nutrient stoichiometry in seawater. The effects of nutrient imbalances such as silicon (Si) limitation on the interactions between diatoms and MPs remain poorly understood. In contrast to previous studies which mainly focused on MP toxicity, this study emphasizes how Si availability affects nano-scale interactions between pristine polystyrene MPs and diatom surfaces. Results showed that Si-starved cells were less tolerant to MP toxicity than the Si-enriched counterparts. Si limitation significantly changed the configuration and chemical composition of the perforated frustules, forming less negatively charged, more adhesive, and mechanically weaker cells. All of these changes facilitated the adsorption and hetero-aggregation between the diatom cells and MPs and compromised the diatoms' resistance to MP attack. Our study provides novel insights into the effects of pristine MPs in the marine environment under the context of dynamic nutrient conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fengyuan Chen
- SZU-HKUST Joint PhD Program in Marine Environmental Science, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen 518060, Guangdong Province, China
- Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Marine Microbiome Engineering, Institute for Advanced Study, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen 518060, Guangdong Province, China
| | - Jie Ma
- Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Marine Microbiome Engineering, Institute for Advanced Study, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen 518060, Guangdong Province, China
| | - Zihan Zhong
- Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Marine Microbiome Engineering, Institute for Advanced Study, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen 518060, Guangdong Province, China
| | - Hongbin Liu
- Department of Ocean Science, The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Hong Kong 999077, Special Administrative Region, China
| | - Aijun Miao
- State Key Laboratory of Pollution Control and Resource Reuse, School of the Environment, Nanjing University, Nanjing, Jiangsu Province 210023, China
| | - Xiaoshan Zhu
- College of Ecology and Environment, Hainan University, Haikou 570228, Hainan, China
| | - Ke Pan
- SZU-HKUST Joint PhD Program in Marine Environmental Science, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen 518060, Guangdong Province, China
- Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Marine Microbiome Engineering, Institute for Advanced Study, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen 518060, Guangdong Province, China
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Sedakov R, Osadchiev A, Barnier B, Molines JM, Colombo P. Large chocked lagoon as a barrier for river-sea flux of dissolved pollutants: Case study of the Azov Sea and the Black Sea. Mar Pollut Bull 2023; 187:114496. [PMID: 36586199 DOI: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2022.114496] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/08/2022] [Revised: 10/28/2022] [Accepted: 12/13/2022] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
The Don River is among the largest rivers in the Eastern Europe and is heavily polluted. This river inflows into small and semi-isolated Sea of Azov, which is connected with the Black Sea by a narrow strait. Generally, the Sea of Azov is a large choked lagoon, which serves as a barrier for river-borne constituents. Using numerical modeling, we reveal that presence of the choked lagoon significantly slows down the estuary-seawater flux of dissolved pollutants and slackens its discharge-induced seasonal variability. In particular, the Sea of Azov delays the 5 % and 95 % of the total flux of riverine pollution to the Black Sea by 9 and 36 months, respectively. The obtained results are important for assessment the influence of background and emergency pollution accidents at the Don River on water quality in the study region. Moreover, these results could be applied to many other chocked lagoons in the World Ocean.
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Affiliation(s)
- Roman Sedakov
- Shirshov Institute of Oceanology, Russian Academy of Sciences, Nakhimovskiy prospekt 36, 117997 Moscow, Russia.
| | - Alexander Osadchiev
- Shirshov Institute of Oceanology, Russian Academy of Sciences, Nakhimovskiy prospekt 36, 117997 Moscow, Russia; Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology, Instituskiy Lane 9, 141701 Dolgoprudny, Russia.
| | - Bernard Barnier
- Institute des Géosciences del'Environment, UGA/CNRS/IRD, Cedex 9, 38 058 Grenoble, France
| | - Jean-Marc Molines
- Institute des Géosciences del'Environment, UGA/CNRS/IRD, Cedex 9, 38 058 Grenoble, France.
| | - Pedro Colombo
- Climate Change Research Centre, University of New South Wales, NSW 2052, Sydney, Australia
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6
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Strokal M, Strokal V, Kroeze C. The future of the Black Sea: More pollution in over half of the rivers. Ambio 2023; 52:339-356. [PMID: 36074247 PMCID: PMC9453707 DOI: 10.1007/s13280-022-01780-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/06/2022] [Revised: 06/24/2022] [Accepted: 08/03/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
The population in the Black Sea region is expected to decline in the future. However, a better understanding of how river pollution is affected by declining trends in population and increasing trends in economic developments and urbanization is needed. This study aims to quantify future trends in point-source emissions of nutrients, microplastics, Cryptosporidium, and triclosan to 107 rivers draining into the Black Sea. We apply a multi-pollutant model for 2010, 2050, and 2100. In the future, over half of the rivers will be more polluted than in 2010. The population in 74 sub-basins may drop by over 25% in our economic scenario with poor wastewater treatment. Over two-thirds of the people will live in cities and the economy may grow 9-fold in the region. Advanced wastewater treatment could minimize trade-offs between economy and pollution: our Sustainability scenario projects a 68-98% decline in point-source pollution by 2100. Making this future reality will require coordinated international efforts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maryna Strokal
- Water Systems and Global Change, Wageningen University & Research, Droevendaalsesteeg 3a, 6708 PB Wageningen, The Netherlands
| | - Vita Strokal
- National University of Life and Environmental Sciences of Ukraine, Heroiv Oborony 15, Kiev, 03041 Ukraine
| | - Carolien Kroeze
- Water Systems and Global Change, Wageningen University & Research, Droevendaalsesteeg 3a, 6708 PB Wageningen, The Netherlands
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7
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González-Fernández D, Hanke G, Pogojeva M, Machitadze N, Kotelnikova Y, Tretiak I, Savenko O, Bilashvili K, Gelashvili N, Fedorov A, Kulagin D, Terentiev A, Slobodnik J. Floating marine macro litter in the Black Sea: Toward baselines for large scale assessment. Environ Pollut 2022; 309:119816. [PMID: 35872285 DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2022.119816] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/26/2022] [Revised: 06/30/2022] [Accepted: 07/17/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
The Black Sea is a semi-enclosed basin subject to major anthropogenic pressures, including marine litter and plastic pollution. Due to numerous large rivers draining into the basin and a population settled along the coast, the region could accumulate significant amounts of floating litter over time. Until now, only limited field data were available, and litter quantities and distribution remained unknown. In this study, floating marine macro litter (FMML) was assessed at the regional Black Sea scale for the first time, showing relatively high litter densities across the basin that reached a weighted mean of 81.5 items/km2. Monitoring data revealed an accumulation of floating items offshore in the eastern part of the basin, resembling on a small scale a 'garbage patch', where litter items were trapped, showing elevated densities in comparison to their surrounding areas. Most of these items were made of plastic materials (ca. 96%) and included large numbers of plastic and polystyrene fragments of small size ranges (2.5-10 cm). Harmonised field data collection through consistent and regular monitoring programmes across the region is essential to establish baselines and thresholds for large scale assessment at international level.
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Affiliation(s)
- D González-Fernández
- Department of Biology, University Marine Research Institute INMAR, University of Cádiz and European University of the Seas, Puerto Real, Spain.
| | - G Hanke
- EC Joint Research Centre, Ispra, Italy
| | - M Pogojeva
- N. N. Zubov's State Oceanographic Institute, Roshydromet, Moscow, Russia; Shirshov Institute of Oceanology, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, Russia
| | - N Machitadze
- Iv. Javakhishvili Tbilisi State University, Tbilisi, Georgia
| | - Y Kotelnikova
- Ukrainian Center of Ecology of the Sea, Odessa, Ukraine
| | - I Tretiak
- Ukrainian Center of Ecology of the Sea, Odessa, Ukraine
| | - O Savenko
- Ukrainian Center of Ecology of the Sea, Odessa, Ukraine; National Antarctic Scientific Center of Ukraine, Kiev, Ukraine
| | - K Bilashvili
- Iv. Javakhishvili Tbilisi State University, Tbilisi, Georgia
| | - N Gelashvili
- Iv. Javakhishvili Tbilisi State University, Tbilisi, Georgia
| | - A Fedorov
- Shirshov Institute of Oceanology, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, Russia
| | - D Kulagin
- Shirshov Institute of Oceanology, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, Russia
| | - A Terentiev
- N. N. Zubov's State Oceanographic Institute, Roshydromet, Moscow, Russia
| | - J Slobodnik
- Environmental Institute, Kos, Slovak Republic
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8
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Ding R, Ouyang F, Peng D, You J, Ding L, Ouyang Z, Liu P, Guo X. A case study of distribution and characteristics of microplastics in surface water and sediments of the seas around Shenzhen, southern coastal area of China. Sci Total Environ 2022; 838:156063. [PMID: 35597363 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.156063] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/07/2022] [Revised: 05/05/2022] [Accepted: 05/16/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Microplastics (MPs), known to cause environmental pollution, is attracting a growing attention worldwide owing to their extensive existence and potential risks to biota. The marginal sea areas are suspected to be especially susceptible to MPs pollution. Unfortunately, data on MPs in the surface water and sediments ecosystems are still limited, particularly in the southern coastal areas of China. The study was successfully utilized to explore the distribution and characteristics of MPs below 5 mm collected from 14 sites in the seas around Shenzhen, a typical special economic zone of China. MPs were detected in both surface water and sediments with concentrations ranging from 3.8 to 7.8 items per liter and 2.6 × 103 to 10.0 × 103 items per kilogram, respectively. The highest abundance of MPs appeared in S5/S9 and S14 in surface water and sediments, respectively. Fiber and film with small particle size (<0.5 mm) were identified as typical and abundant MPs type among all samples. In addition, polyethylene (PE) was considered as dominant forms of MPs in surface water and sediment samples. Results from this study indicated a positive correlation with abundance of MPs and urbanization rate, which also showed an evident difference of MPs in different urban functional areas. Based on the types and quantity of detected MPs, we assessed the risk of MPs pollution in this study area, and the ecological risk category of MPs was at a high level. Importantly, our work might be employed as a potential information so as to better understand MPs pollution, source tracing and ecological risk assessment, which enhances the possibility of achieving effective control and supervision of MPs pollution in southern coastal aera of China.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rui Ding
- College of Natural Resources and Environment, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi 712100, China; Key Laboratory of Plant Nutrition and the Agro-environment in Northwest China, Ministry of Agriculture, Yangling, Shaanxi 712100, China
| | - Fan Ouyang
- Department of Transportation and Environment, Shenzhen Institute of Information Technology, Shenzhen, Guangdong 518172, China
| | - Dan Peng
- Department of Transportation and Environment, Shenzhen Institute of Information Technology, Shenzhen, Guangdong 518172, China.
| | - Jia You
- College of Natural Resources and Environment, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi 712100, China; Key Laboratory of Plant Nutrition and the Agro-environment in Northwest China, Ministry of Agriculture, Yangling, Shaanxi 712100, China
| | - Ling Ding
- College of Natural Resources and Environment, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi 712100, China; Key Laboratory of Plant Nutrition and the Agro-environment in Northwest China, Ministry of Agriculture, Yangling, Shaanxi 712100, China
| | - Zhuozhi Ouyang
- College of Natural Resources and Environment, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi 712100, China; Key Laboratory of Plant Nutrition and the Agro-environment in Northwest China, Ministry of Agriculture, Yangling, Shaanxi 712100, China
| | - Peng Liu
- College of Natural Resources and Environment, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi 712100, China; Key Laboratory of Plant Nutrition and the Agro-environment in Northwest China, Ministry of Agriculture, Yangling, Shaanxi 712100, China
| | - Xuetao Guo
- College of Natural Resources and Environment, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi 712100, China; Key Laboratory of Plant Nutrition and the Agro-environment in Northwest China, Ministry of Agriculture, Yangling, Shaanxi 712100, China.
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9
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Strokal V, Kuiper EJ, Bak MP, Vriend P, Wang M, van Wijnen J, Strokal M. Future microplastics in the Black Sea: River exports and reduction options for zero pollution. Mar Pollut Bull 2022; 178:113633. [PMID: 35398693 DOI: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2022.113633] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/16/2021] [Revised: 03/25/2022] [Accepted: 03/30/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
The Black Sea receives increasing amounts of microplastics from rivers. In this study, we explore options to reduce future river export of microplastics to the Black Sea. We develop five scenarios with different reduction options and implement them to a Model to Assess River Inputs of pollutaNts to seA (MARINA-Global) for 107 sub-basins. Today, European rivers draining into the Black Sea export over half of the total microplastics. In 2050, Asian rivers draining into the sea will be responsible for 34-46% of microplastic pollution. Implemented advanced treatment will reduce point-source pollution. Reduced consumption or more collection of plastics will reduce 40% of microplastics in the sea by 2050. In the optimistic future, sea pollution is 84% lower than today when the abovementioned reduction options are combined. Reduction options affect the share of pollution sources. Our insights could support environmental policies for a zero pollution future of the Black Sea.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vita Strokal
- The National University of Life and Environmental Sciences of Ukraine, Kyiv, Ukraine
| | - Eke J Kuiper
- Water Systems and Global Change, Wageningen University & Research, Wageningen, the Netherlands; Independent researcher, The Netherlands
| | - Mirjam P Bak
- Water Systems and Global Change, Wageningen University & Research, Wageningen, the Netherlands
| | - Paul Vriend
- Water Systems and Global Change, Wageningen University & Research, Wageningen, the Netherlands; Independent researcher, The Netherlands
| | - Mengru Wang
- Water Systems and Global Change, Wageningen University & Research, Wageningen, the Netherlands
| | - Jikke van Wijnen
- Open Universiteit, Faculty of Science - Environmental Sciences Department, Heerlen, the Netherlands
| | - Maryna Strokal
- Water Systems and Global Change, Wageningen University & Research, Wageningen, the Netherlands.
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10
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Çevik C, Kıdeyş AE, Tavşanoğlu ÜN, Kankılıç GB, Gündoğdu S. A review of plastic pollution in aquatic ecosystems of Turkey. Environ Sci Pollut Res Int 2022; 29:26230-26249. [PMID: 34853999 DOI: 10.1007/s11356-021-17648-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/31/2021] [Accepted: 11/16/2021] [Indexed: 05/16/2023]
Abstract
Turkey is one of the major plastic pollution sources in the Mediterranean and the Black Sea. This review summarizes present information, data, and legislation on plastic pollution in Turkish aquatic ecosystems. According to results derived from reviewed studies, both macro- and microplastic pollutions were documented in Turkish aquatic ecosystems. Most of the studies on plastic pollution in Turkish waters were performed in the marine environment while only four were conducted in freshwater environments. Spatially, the majority of these studies, which were on levels in the marine environment, were conducted on the northeastern Mediterranean coasts of Turkey, especially Iskenderun and Mersin Bays. Additional studies were carried out on either the ingestion/presence/impact of microplastics by/to aquatic organisms or the entanglement of marine organisms in plastics. There were also studies assessing the microplastic content of commercial salt, and another has reported microplastic presence in traditional stuffed mussels sold in Turkish streets. Some studies were conducted on microplastic presence and/or their removal in wastewater treatment plants in Mersin, Adana, Mugla, and Istanbul cities. Macro- and microliter loading from a few Turkish rivers to the sea was also estimated. All these investigations indicate that Turkish aquatic environments have significant plastic pollution problems, which were also underlined by the legislative studies. The need for further studies in this field still exists, especially in freshwater environments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cem Çevik
- Faculty of Fisheries, Department of Basic Sciences, Cukurova University, 01330, Adana, Turkey
| | - Ahmet Erkan Kıdeyş
- Institute of Marine Sciences, Limonlu, Erdemli, Middle East Technical University, Mersin, Turkey
| | - Ülkü Nihan Tavşanoğlu
- Faculty of Sciences, Department of Biology, Çankırı Karatekin University, Çankırı, Turkey
| | | | - Sedat Gündoğdu
- Faculty of Fisheries, Department of Basic Sciences, Cukurova University, 01330, Adana, Turkey.
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11
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Eryaşar AR, Gedik K, Mutlu T. Ingestion of microplastics by commercial fish species from the southern Black Sea coast. Mar Pollut Bull 2022; 177:113535. [PMID: 35279548 DOI: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2022.113535] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2022] [Revised: 02/28/2022] [Accepted: 03/01/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Microplastic (MP) contamination is a serious threat to today's marine life. Therefore, this study investigates MP ingestion in three commercial fish species (European anchovy Engraulis encrasicolus, whiting Merlangius merlangus, and red mullet Mullus barbatus) from the Turkish coast of the Black Sea. Ninety-five MPs were detected in all examined fish (371). Fiber forms were detected in the majority of cases based on the MP morphology. Polyethylene and polypropylene were the most dominant polymer type. The mean of ingested MPs was found as 0.15 ± 0.04, 0.28 ± 0.06, 0.40 ± 0.07 in anchovy, whiting and red mullet, respectively. The size of the MPs ranged from 118 μm and 4854 μm. The MP waste was detected in each species, and the highest MP amount was determined in the red mullet, which was significantly higher than European anchovy. The present study's data might be a baseline on the ecological risk assessment of MPs in the fish and future experimental studies on the fish species living in the Black Sea.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ahmet Raif Eryaşar
- Recep Tayyip Erdogan University, Vocational School of Technical Sciences, Rize, Turkey.
| | - Kenan Gedik
- Recep Tayyip Erdogan University, Vocational School of Technical Sciences, Rize, Turkey.
| | - Tanju Mutlu
- Recep Tayyip Erdogan University, Vocational School of Technical Sciences, Rize, Turkey.
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12
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Aytan U, Esensoy FB, Senturk Y. Microplastic ingestion and egestion by copepods in the Black Sea. Sci Total Environ 2022; 806:150921. [PMID: 34653472 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2021.150921] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/07/2021] [Revised: 09/29/2021] [Accepted: 10/07/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Ingestion and egestion of microplastics by copepods in the Black Sea was assessed for the first time. Composition and concentration of microplastics in the water column was also evaluated. Samples were collected from three stations (river mouth, coastal and open water) in the Southeastern Black Sea over the course of one year. Microplastic concentration in the water column ranged between 0.12 and 7.62 mp·m-3 (mean 2.04 ± 1.05 mp·m-3) with significantly higher concentrations in the river mouth. The most common types of microplastics were fibres, followed by films and fragments. A total of 11 colours of microplastics were found, being blue the most common colour. Analysis of 1126 C. euxinus and 1065 A. clausi, resulted in 26 and 9 microplastics being detected, respectively. This resulted in a microplastic ingestion of 0.024 ± 0.020 mp. Calanus-1 and 0.008 ± 0.006 mp. Acartia-1. Analysis of 351 faecal pellets, resulted 4 microplastics being found. The average size of ingested microplastics was greater in C. euxinus (0.100 mm ± 0.153 mm) than in A. clausi (0.062 mm ± 0.056 mm). Size of ingested microplastics was in the size range of natural preys of these copepods. Fragments were the most common type of ingested microplastics, followed by films and fibres. The colour of ingested particles was black, blue and red. Our results show that the copepods and the pelagic environment of the Black Sea are contaminated by microplastics. Critical functions of zooplankton in this degraded ecosystem are under risk and zooplankton are likely to act as a vector for the transfer of microplastics and associated toxic chemicals to upper trophic levels including humans in the Black Sea.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ulgen Aytan
- Recep Tayyip Erdogan University, Department of Marine Biology, 53100 Rize, Turkey.
| | - F Başak Esensoy
- Recep Tayyip Erdogan University, Department of Marine Biology, 53100 Rize, Turkey
| | - Yasemen Senturk
- Recep Tayyip Erdogan University, Department of Marine Biology, 53100 Rize, Turkey
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Terzi Y, Gedik K, Eryaşar AR, Öztürk RÇ, Şahin A, Yılmaz F. Microplastic contamination and characteristics spatially vary in the southern Black Sea beach sediment and sea surface water. Mar Pollut Bull 2022; 174:113228. [PMID: 34875479 DOI: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2021.113228] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/29/2021] [Revised: 11/26/2021] [Accepted: 11/27/2021] [Indexed: 05/16/2023]
Abstract
In this study, the abundance, and characteristics of the microplastics on the southern coast of the Black Sea were assessed. More than 70% of the detected microplastics were smaller than 2.5 mm and mostly consisted of fibers and fragments. The average microplastic abundance in the beach sediment and seawater were 64.06 ± 8.95 particles/kg and 18.68 ± 3.01 particles/m3, respectively. The western coast of the study area (Marmara region) was the most polluted area, and a spatially significant difference was determined in terms of abundance. The composition in the beach sediment (particles/kg) was dominated by styrene acrylonitrile copolymer (SAC) (40.53%), polyethylene terephthalate (PET) (38.75%), and polyethylene (PE) (6.91%), whereas the seawater (particles/m3) was dominated by PET (57.26%), PE (13.52%), and polypropylene PP (11.24%). The results of our study can be a baseline for environmental modeling studies and experimental studies on the marine organisms inhabiting the Black Sea.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yahya Terzi
- Department of Fisheries Technology Engineering, Faculty of Marine Sciences, Karadeniz Technical University, 61530 Trabzon, Turkey.
| | - Kenan Gedik
- Vocational School of Technical Sciences, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan University, 53100 Rize, Turkey
| | - Ahmet Raif Eryaşar
- Vocational School of Technical Sciences, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan University, 53100 Rize, Turkey
| | - Rafet Çağrı Öztürk
- Department of Fisheries Technology Engineering, Faculty of Marine Sciences, Karadeniz Technical University, 61530 Trabzon, Turkey
| | - Ahmet Şahin
- Department of Fisheries Technology Engineering, Faculty of Marine Sciences, Karadeniz Technical University, 61530 Trabzon, Turkey
| | - Fatih Yılmaz
- Vocational School of Technical Sciences, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan University, 53100 Rize, Turkey
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14
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Ruiz I, Burgoa I, Santos M, Basurko OC, García-Barón I, Louzao M, Beldarrain B, Kukul D, Valle C, Uriarte A, Rubio A. First assessment of floating marine litter abundance and distribution in the Bay of Biscay from an integrated ecosystem survey. Mar Pollut Bull 2022; 174:113266. [PMID: 35090265 DOI: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2021.113266] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/19/2021] [Revised: 12/06/2021] [Accepted: 12/13/2021] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
In the Bay of Biscay, regional monitoring programmes and data on abundance and distribution of floating marine litter are scarce, contrary to many other European marine regions. Here, a joint analysis of multiyear observations (2017-2019) of floating micro and macrolitter and oceanographic conditions was conducted for the Bay of Biscay by combining microlitter samplings with neuston nets and vessel-based macrolitter observations. Results show spatiotemporal abundance and distribution patterns. The density of floating microlitter increased from 26,056 items/km2 in 2017 to 1,802,4611 items/km2 in 2019; floating macrolitter densities barely varied amongst year (2.52 items/km2 in 2017 and 3.70 items/km2 in 2019). No significant correlation was found between densities of micro and macrolitter, neither for the oceanographic variables. We conclude that longer micro and macrolitter monitoring periods and standardized datasets based on the cross-border cooperation are needed to collect more comparable information, evaluate trends, and support decision making in the area.
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Affiliation(s)
- Irene Ruiz
- AZTI, Marine Research, Basque Research and Technology Alliance (BRTA), Herrera Kaia, Portualdea z/g, 20110 Pasaia, Gipuzkoa, Spain.
| | - Iñaki Burgoa
- AZTI, Marine Research, Basque Research and Technology Alliance (BRTA), Herrera Kaia, Portualdea z/g, 20110 Pasaia, Gipuzkoa, Spain
| | - María Santos
- AZTI, Marine Research, Basque Research and Technology Alliance (BRTA), Herrera Kaia, Portualdea z/g, 20110 Pasaia, Gipuzkoa, Spain.
| | - Oihane C Basurko
- AZTI, Marine Research, Basque Research and Technology Alliance (BRTA), Herrera Kaia, Portualdea z/g, 20110 Pasaia, Gipuzkoa, Spain.
| | - Isabel García-Barón
- AZTI, Marine Research, Basque Research and Technology Alliance (BRTA), Herrera Kaia, Portualdea z/g, 20110 Pasaia, Gipuzkoa, Spain.
| | - Maite Louzao
- AZTI, Marine Research, Basque Research and Technology Alliance (BRTA), Herrera Kaia, Portualdea z/g, 20110 Pasaia, Gipuzkoa, Spain.
| | - Beatriz Beldarrain
- AZTI, Marine Research, Basque Research and Technology Alliance (BRTA), Herrera Kaia, Portualdea z/g, 20110 Pasaia, Gipuzkoa, Spain.
| | - Deniz Kukul
- AZTI, Marine Research, Basque Research and Technology Alliance (BRTA), Herrera Kaia, Portualdea z/g, 20110 Pasaia, Gipuzkoa, Spain.
| | - Claudia Valle
- AZTI, Marine Research, Basque Research and Technology Alliance (BRTA), Herrera Kaia, Portualdea z/g, 20110 Pasaia, Gipuzkoa, Spain
| | - Ainhize Uriarte
- AZTI, Marine Research, Basque Research and Technology Alliance (BRTA), Herrera Kaia, Portualdea z/g, 20110 Pasaia, Gipuzkoa, Spain.
| | - Anna Rubio
- AZTI, Marine Research, Basque Research and Technology Alliance (BRTA), Herrera Kaia, Portualdea z/g, 20110 Pasaia, Gipuzkoa, Spain.
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15
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Eryaşar AR, Gedik K, Şahin A, Öztürk RÇ, Yılmaz F. Characteristics and temporal trends of microplastics in the coastal area in the Southern Black Sea over the past decade. Mar Pollut Bull 2021; 173:112993. [PMID: 34598091 DOI: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2021.112993] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/19/2021] [Revised: 09/13/2021] [Accepted: 09/19/2021] [Indexed: 05/16/2023]
Abstract
Time-series datasets showing the gradual conformational change in the status and characteristics of microplastics (MP) in marine waters are needed to protect vulnerable marine ecosystems. In this study, the abundance, spatiotemporal distribution, polymer composition, size, and shapes of the MP in the seawater sampled from 0.5 (station-1), 2.5 (station-2), and 5 (station-3) miles off the coast of the southeastern Black Sea between 2009 and 2020 were investigated. The abundance of the MP ranged from 0.181 to 0.944 m-3. The amounts of MP in the stations, from the greatest to the smallest, were 0.65 MP m-3 (2), 0.45 MP m-3 (1), 0.29 MP m-3 (3). Thirteen types of polymers were detected by FTIR, the most abundant types of which were polyethylene (44.9%) and polyethylene terephthalate (25.3%). Sizes of MP ranged from 118 to 4998 μm, 50% being smaller than 2000 μm. The most dominant shape of the MPs was fragments (56.3%). Abundance did not show significant spatiotemporal changes. Periodical data presented herein may represent a remarkable projection and create a baseline for the ecosystem's future functioning and pollution research in the Black Sea.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ahmet Raif Eryaşar
- Recep Tayyip Erdogan University, Vocational School of Technical Sciences, Rize, Turkey
| | - Kenan Gedik
- Recep Tayyip Erdogan University, Vocational School of Technical Sciences, Rize, Turkey.
| | - Ahmet Şahin
- Karadeniz Technical University, Faculty of Marine Science, Trabzon, Turkey
| | - Rafet Çağrı Öztürk
- Karadeniz Technical University, Faculty of Marine Science, Trabzon, Turkey
| | - Fatih Yılmaz
- Recep Tayyip Erdogan University, Vocational School of Technical Sciences, Rize, Turkey
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Chuturkova R, Simeonova A. Sources of marine litter along the Bulgarian Black Sea coast: Identification, scoring and contribution. Mar Pollut Bull 2021; 173:113119. [PMID: 34763182 DOI: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2021.113119] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/12/2021] [Revised: 11/01/2021] [Accepted: 11/02/2021] [Indexed: 05/16/2023]
Abstract
The sources of marine litter (ML) pollution along the Bulgarian Black Sea coast in 2019 were identified and categorized to: Public litter, Fishing, Shipping, Sanitary and sewage, Fly tipped, Medical and Non-sourced, following Veiga et al., 2016 approach. Largest was the contribution of Public litter - 48.3% and Non-sourced - 38.5% of the total. Most Public litter items were attributed to recreational activities - 82.9% Public litter Recreation and less to Public litter Smoking-related - 17.1%. Regarding to Non-sourced, the following sub-categories seemed to contribute clearly more: Land (run off) - 8.79% and Tourism beach users - 8.58%. Considerably lower was the contribution of Fishing, Offshore and Shipping. None of the items were attributed to Sewage related. The ML pollution on the individual beaches (10 sites) exhibited largest contribution of Public litter with most significant input of Public litter Recreation, varying from 65.9 to 86.7% between beaches.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rozalina Chuturkova
- Department of Ecology and Environmental Protection, Technical University - Varna, 1 Studentska str., 9010 Varna, Bulgaria
| | - Anna Simeonova
- Department of Ecology and Environmental Protection, Technical University - Varna, 1 Studentska str., 9010 Varna, Bulgaria.
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Zhang F, Xu J, Zhu L, Peng G, Jabeen K, Wang X, Li D. Seasonal distributions of microplastics and estimation of the microplastic load ingested by wild caught fish in the East China Sea. J Hazard Mater 2021; 419:126456. [PMID: 34186430 DOI: 10.1016/j.jhazmat.2021.126456] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/28/2021] [Revised: 06/18/2021] [Accepted: 06/20/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Microplastic (MP) pollution in marine environments and organisms has received substantial international attention. However, long-term field studies of MPs are scarce. Here, we assessed the seasonal variation in MP abundance in the Zhoushan fishing ground (ZFG), one of the most abundant and productive fishing grounds worldwide, and analyzed the long-term MP accumulation in fish gastrointestinal tracts from September 2017 to June 2018. The most common MP particles in the ZFG were polyethylene terephthalate and polypropylene. After four seasons of continuous monitoring, we did not find accumulation of MPs in the fish after 10% KOH digestion. In total, 254 MP particles were removed from the gastrointestinal tracts of all fish. The average number of particles per fish was lower than that reported in previous global marine studies. There were significant differences among species. Moreover, this study provides the calculation of the weight of MPs ingested by fish and an estimate of the load of accumulated MPs in fish. According to the estimation, the load of MPs ingested by fish annually was approximately 3 kg in ZFG. These findings provide the long-term evidence of MP contamination in biota from the ZFG. The amounts of MPs ingested by fish require more detailed and improved investigation and estimation in further studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Feng Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Estuarine and Coastal Research, East China Normal University, Shanghai 200062, China; Plastic Marine Debris Research Center, East China Normal University, 200062 Shanghai, China; Regional Training and Research Center on Plastic Marine Debris and Microplastics, IOC-UNESCO, Shanghai 200241, China
| | - Jiayi Xu
- State Key Laboratory of Estuarine and Coastal Research, East China Normal University, Shanghai 200062, China; Plastic Marine Debris Research Center, East China Normal University, 200062 Shanghai, China; Regional Training and Research Center on Plastic Marine Debris and Microplastics, IOC-UNESCO, Shanghai 200241, China
| | - Lixin Zhu
- State Key Laboratory of Estuarine and Coastal Research, East China Normal University, Shanghai 200062, China; Plastic Marine Debris Research Center, East China Normal University, 200062 Shanghai, China; Regional Training and Research Center on Plastic Marine Debris and Microplastics, IOC-UNESCO, Shanghai 200241, China
| | - Guyu Peng
- The Key Laboratory of Water and Sediment Sciences, Ministry of Education, College of Environmental Sciences and Engineering, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China
| | - Khalida Jabeen
- State Key Laboratory of Estuarine and Coastal Research, East China Normal University, Shanghai 200062, China; Plastic Marine Debris Research Center, East China Normal University, 200062 Shanghai, China; Regional Training and Research Center on Plastic Marine Debris and Microplastics, IOC-UNESCO, Shanghai 200241, China
| | - Xiaohui Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Estuarine and Coastal Research, East China Normal University, Shanghai 200062, China; Plastic Marine Debris Research Center, East China Normal University, 200062 Shanghai, China; Regional Training and Research Center on Plastic Marine Debris and Microplastics, IOC-UNESCO, Shanghai 200241, China
| | - Daoji Li
- State Key Laboratory of Estuarine and Coastal Research, East China Normal University, Shanghai 200062, China; Plastic Marine Debris Research Center, East China Normal University, 200062 Shanghai, China; Regional Training and Research Center on Plastic Marine Debris and Microplastics, IOC-UNESCO, Shanghai 200241, China.
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18
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Halfar J, Brožová K, Čabanová K, Heviánková S, Kašpárková A, Olšovská E. Disparities in Methods Used to Determine Microplastics in the Aquatic Environment: A Review of Legislation, Sampling Process and Instrumental Analysis. Int J Environ Res Public Health 2021; 18:ijerph18147608. [PMID: 34300059 PMCID: PMC8304247 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph18147608] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/31/2021] [Revised: 07/02/2021] [Accepted: 07/14/2021] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
Plastic particles smaller than 5 mm, i.e., microplastics, have been detected in a number of environments. The number of studies on microplastics in marine environments, fresh water, wastewater, the atmosphere, and the human body are increasing along with a rise in the amounts of plastic materials introduced into the environment every year, all contributing to a range of health and environmental issues. Although the use of primary microplastics has been gradually reduced by recent legislation in many countries, new knowledge and data on these problems are needed to understand the overall lifecycle of secondary microplastics in particular. The aim of this review is to provide unified information on the pathways of microplastics into the environment, their degradation, and related legislation, with a special focus on the methods of their sampling, determination, and instrumental analysis. To deal with the health and environmental issues associated with the abundance of microplastics in the environment, researchers should focus on agreeing on a uniform methodology to determine the gravity of the problem through obtaining comparable data, thus leading to new and stricter legislation enforcing more sustainable plastic production and recycling, and hopefully contributing to reversing the trend of high amounts of microplastics worldwide.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jan Halfar
- Faculty of Mining and Geology, VŠB-Technical University of Ostrava, 17. listopadu 15/2172, 708 00 Ostrava, Czech Republic; (K.B.); (K.Č.); (S.H.); (A.K.)
- Centre for Advanced and Innovative Technologies, VŠB-Technical University of Ostrava, 17. listopadu 15/2172, 708 00 Ostrava, Czech Republic;
- Correspondence:
| | - Kateřina Brožová
- Faculty of Mining and Geology, VŠB-Technical University of Ostrava, 17. listopadu 15/2172, 708 00 Ostrava, Czech Republic; (K.B.); (K.Č.); (S.H.); (A.K.)
| | - Kristina Čabanová
- Faculty of Mining and Geology, VŠB-Technical University of Ostrava, 17. listopadu 15/2172, 708 00 Ostrava, Czech Republic; (K.B.); (K.Č.); (S.H.); (A.K.)
- Centre for Advanced and Innovative Technologies, VŠB-Technical University of Ostrava, 17. listopadu 15/2172, 708 00 Ostrava, Czech Republic;
| | - Silvie Heviánková
- Faculty of Mining and Geology, VŠB-Technical University of Ostrava, 17. listopadu 15/2172, 708 00 Ostrava, Czech Republic; (K.B.); (K.Č.); (S.H.); (A.K.)
| | - Alena Kašpárková
- Faculty of Mining and Geology, VŠB-Technical University of Ostrava, 17. listopadu 15/2172, 708 00 Ostrava, Czech Republic; (K.B.); (K.Č.); (S.H.); (A.K.)
| | - Eva Olšovská
- Centre for Advanced and Innovative Technologies, VŠB-Technical University of Ostrava, 17. listopadu 15/2172, 708 00 Ostrava, Czech Republic;
- Nanotechnology Centre, CEET, VŠB–Technical University of Ostrava, 17. listopadu 15/2172, 708 00 Ostrava, Czech Republic
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19
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Pojar I, Kochleus C, Dierkes G, Ehlers SM, Reifferscheid G, Stock F. Quantitative and qualitative evaluation of plastic particles in surface waters of the Western Black Sea. Environ Pollut 2021; 268:115724. [PMID: 33183868 DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2020.115724] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/18/2020] [Revised: 09/21/2020] [Accepted: 09/23/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Microplastic abundances have been studied intensively in the last years in marine and freshwater environments worldwide. Though several articles have been published about the Mediterranean Sea, only few studies about the Black Sea exist. The Black Sea drains into the Mediterranean Sea and may therefore significantly contribute to the Mediterranean marine pollution. So far, only very few articles have been published about micro-, meso- and macroplastic abundances in the Western Black Sea. In order to fill this knowledge gap and to decipher the number of plastics on the water surface, 12 samples were collected from surface waters with a neustonic net (mesh size 200 μm) in the Black Sea close to the Danube Delta and the Romanian shore. Organic matter was digested and plastic particles were isolated by density separation. The results of visual inspection, pyrolysis GC-MS (for microplastics) and ATR-FTIR (for mesoplastics >5 mm) revealed an average concentration of 7 plastic particles/m³, dominated by fibers (∼76%), followed by foils (∼13%) and fragments (∼11%). Only very few spherules were detected. The polymers polypropylene (PP) and polyethylene (PE) dominated which is in line with other studies analyzing surface waters from rivers in Western Europe as well as in China. Statistical analyses show that the plastic concentration close to the mouth of the Danube River was significantly higher than at four nearshore regions along the Romanian and Bulgarian coastline. This could be explained by plastic inputs from the Danube River into the western part of the Black Sea.
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Affiliation(s)
- Iulian Pojar
- National Institute of Research and Development for Marine Geology and Geo-ecology - GeoEcoMar, 23-25 Dimitrie Onciu, 024053, Bucharest, Romania
| | - Christian Kochleus
- German Federal Institute of Hydrology, Am Mainzer Tor 1, 56068, Koblenz, Germany
| | - Georg Dierkes
- German Federal Institute of Hydrology, Am Mainzer Tor 1, 56068, Koblenz, Germany
| | - Sonja M Ehlers
- German Federal Institute of Hydrology, Am Mainzer Tor 1, 56068, Koblenz, Germany
| | - Georg Reifferscheid
- German Federal Institute of Hydrology, Am Mainzer Tor 1, 56068, Koblenz, Germany
| | - Friederike Stock
- German Federal Institute of Hydrology, Am Mainzer Tor 1, 56068, Koblenz, Germany.
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