Beached microplastics at the Bahia Blanca Estuary (Argentina): Plastic pellets as potential vectors of environmental pollution by POPs

Andres H. Arias; Guadalupe Alvarez; Karla Pozo; Petra Pribylova; Jana Klanova; Lucas S. Rodríguez Pirani; A. Lorena Picone; Mónica Alvarez; Norma Tombesi

doi:10.1016/j.marpolbul.2022.114520

Beached microplastics at the Bahia Blanca Estuary (Argentina): Plastic pellets as potential vectors of environmental pollution by POPs

Andres H. Arias^*, Guadalupe Alvarez, Karla Pozo, Petra Pribylova, Jana Klanova, Lucas S. Rodríguez Pirani, A. Lorena Picone, Mónica Alvarez, Norma Tombesi

^*Corresponding author for this work

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

17 Scopus citations

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.

Original language	English
Article number	114520
Journal	Marine Pollution Bulletin
Volume	187
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1016/j.marpolbul.2022.114520
State	Published - 2023

Bibliographical note

Funding Information:
The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper. We acknowledge funding support through the Universidad Nacional del Sur (UNS; research grant PGI 24/Q111 granted to Andrés H. Arias) and the Argentinean Ministry of Science and Technology (Pampa Azul Project C17 granted to Andrés H. Arias). We also thank the RECETOX Research Infrastructure (No LM2018121) financed by the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports, and the Operational Programme Research, Development and Education (the CETOCOEN EXCELLENCE project No. CZ.02.1.01/0.0/0.0/17_043/0009632) for supportive background.

Publisher Copyright:
© 2022 Elsevier Ltd

ASJC Scopus subject areas

Oceanography
Aquatic Science
Pollution

UN SDGs

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

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10.1016/j.marpolbul.2022.114520

Cite this

Arias, A. H., Alvarez, G., Pozo, K., Pribylova, P., Klanova, J., Rodríguez Pirani, L. S., Picone, A. L., Alvarez, M., & Tombesi, N. (2023). Beached microplastics at the Bahia Blanca Estuary (Argentina): Plastic pellets as potential vectors of environmental pollution by POPs. Marine Pollution Bulletin, 187, Article 114520. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.marpolbul.2022.114520

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title = "Beached microplastics at the Bahia Blanca Estuary (Argentina): Plastic pellets as potential vectors of environmental pollution by POPs",

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.",

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author = "Arias, {Andres H.} and Guadalupe Alvarez and Karla Pozo and Petra Pribylova and Jana Klanova and {Rodr{\'i}guez Pirani}, {Lucas S.} and Picone, {A. Lorena} and M{\'o}nica Alvarez and Norma Tombesi",

note = "Funding Information: The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper. We acknowledge funding support through the Universidad Nacional del Sur (UNS; research grant PGI 24/Q111 granted to Andr{\'e}s H. Arias) and the Argentinean Ministry of Science and Technology (Pampa Azul Project C17 granted to Andr{\'e}s H. Arias). We also thank the RECETOX Research Infrastructure (No LM2018121) financed by the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports, and the Operational Programme Research, Development and Education (the CETOCOEN EXCELLENCE project No. CZ.02.1.01/0.0/0.0/17_043/0009632) for supportive background. Publisher Copyright: {\textcopyright} 2022 Elsevier Ltd",

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doi = "10.1016/j.marpolbul.2022.114520",

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T1 - Beached microplastics at the Bahia Blanca Estuary (Argentina)

T2 - Plastic pellets as potential vectors of environmental pollution by POPs

AU - Arias, Andres H.

AU - Alvarez, Guadalupe

AU - Pozo, Karla

AU - Pribylova, Petra

AU - Klanova, Jana

AU - Rodríguez Pirani, Lucas S.

AU - Picone, A. Lorena

AU - Alvarez, Mónica

AU - Tombesi, Norma

N1 - Funding Information: The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper. We acknowledge funding support through the Universidad Nacional del Sur (UNS; research grant PGI 24/Q111 granted to Andrés H. Arias) and the Argentinean Ministry of Science and Technology (Pampa Azul Project C17 granted to Andrés H. Arias). We also thank the RECETOX Research Infrastructure (No LM2018121) financed by the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports, and the Operational Programme Research, Development and Education (the CETOCOEN EXCELLENCE project No. CZ.02.1.01/0.0/0.0/17_043/0009632) for supportive background. Publisher Copyright: © 2022 Elsevier Ltd

PY - 2023/2

Y1 - 2023/2

N2 - 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.

AB - 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.

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KW - HCHs

KW - HDPE

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KW - PAHs

KW - PCBs

KW - POPs

KW - Plastic pellets

KW - Sediments

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DO - 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2022.114520

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C2 - 36610302

AN - SCOPUS:85145830673

SN - 0025-326X

VL - 187

JO - Marine Pollution Bulletin

JF - Marine Pollution Bulletin

M1 - 114520

ER -

Beached microplastics at the Bahia Blanca Estuary (Argentina): Plastic pellets as potential vectors of environmental pollution by POPs

Abstract

Bibliographical note

ASJC Scopus subject areas

UN SDGs

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