How microplastics quantities increase with flood events? An example from Mersin Bay NE Levantine coast of Turkey

Gündoğdu, Sedat; Çevik, Cem; Ayat, Berna; Aydoğan, Burak; Karaca, Serkan

doi:10.1016/j.envpol.2018.04.042

Cited by 161 publications

(49 citation statements)

References 37 publications

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“…An increase in the C/N ratio (~10), indicative of continental inputs in the sedimented organic matter, was also reported in the same area of study (off Barcelona at the head of the Besòs Canyon at 600 m) after 2-3 months following the maximum river discharge (Rumolo et al, 2015). Similar fluctuations on the occurrence of plastics after increased rainfall episodes have been reported in estuary environments (Dantas et al, 2012;Lima et al, 2014) and the Turkish Mersin Bay where a 14-fold increase was observed (Gündoğdu et al, 2018). In the latter, a significant change in the polymer composition was also observed, with up to eight new different polymers being identified in the post-flood period.…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 79%

A closer look at anthropogenic fiber ingestion in Aristeus antennatus in the NW Mediterranean Sea: Differences among years and locations and impact on health condition

Carreras-Colom

Constenla

Soler-Membrives

et al. 2020

Environmental Pollution

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HIGHLIGHTS • Synthetic fibers were identified in stomach and intestine contents • 84.6% of shrimps contained fibers and 42.4% contained balls of fibers • Higher fiber load towards the south and off the Barcelona metropolitan area • Temporal differences in polymer composition of fibers • No major histological alterations ABSTRACT Marine litter is one of the most concerning threats for marine wildlife especially regarding plastics and their micro-sized forms, widely known as microplastics. The present study evaluates mesoscale spatial (230 km, Catalan coast) and temporal (2007 vs 2017-2018, Barcelona area) differences on the ingestion of anthropogenic fibers in the deep-sea shrimp Aristeus antennatus in the NW Mediterranean Sea and its relation with shrimp's health condition. Synthetic fibers with lengths ranging between 0.16 and 37.9 mm were found in both stomach (where sometimes they were tangled up in balls) and intestine contents. The percentage of fiber occurrence was > 65% at each sampling point. Tangled balls of fibers observed in stomach contents exhibited a wide range of sizes (up to a diameter of 1 cm) and were usually composed of fibers of different polymers, sizes and colours. Differences between locations (2018) were found, with greater fiber loads towards the south during spring and a great variability in summer, as shrimps caught off Barcelona showed a nearly thirty-times higher fiber load compared to shrimps from other localities. Highest concentrations were more likely to be related to major sources of fibers and currents in the area. Fiber load in shrimps from 2007 was comparable to that of shrimps captured in 2017 and 2018 (spring) yet a shift in the proportion of acrylic and polyester polymers was detected. No consistent effect on shrimp's health condition was found, with only a significant negative correlation found between gonadosomatic index and fibers for those shrimps with the highest values of fiber load (caught off Barcelona, summer 2018). Our findings contribute to the knowledge on plastic pollution for the NW Mediterranean Sea and highlight the potential use of this species as a sentinel species for plastic fiber contamination.

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 79%

A closer look at anthropogenic fiber ingestion in Aristeus antennatus in the NW Mediterranean Sea: Differences among years and locations and impact on health condition

Carreras-Colom

Constenla

Soler-Membrives

et al. 2020

Environmental Pollution

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“…Apart from a modeled estimation of the influence of monsoons on floating macroplastic transport in a river, no detailed studies are done on this topic [11]. Also the influence of extreme flood events is unknown for macroplas tics, whereas for example the amount of microplastics in Mersin bay in the Mediterranean sea show a 14-fold increase after heavy rains [34]. It was recently estimated that 10%-20% of the oceanic plastic pollution in the North Pacific Ocean is caused by the Tohoku tsunami in Japan in 2011 [15].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Abundance of plastic debris across European and Asian rivers

Calcar

Emmerik

2019

Environ. Res. Lett.

133

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Plastic pollution in the marine environment is an urgent global environmental challenge. Land-based plastics, emitted into the ocean through rivers, are believed to be the main source of marine plastic litter. According to the latest model-based estimates, most riverine plastics are emitted in Asia. However, the exact amount of global riverine plastic emission remains uncertain due to a severe lack of observation. Field-based studies are rare in numbers, focused on rivers in Europe and North America and used strongly varying data collection methods. We present a harmonized assessment of floating macroplastic transport from observations at 24 locations in rivers in seven countries in Europe and Asia. Visual counting and debris sampling were used to assess (1) magnitude of plastic transport, (2) the spatial distribution across the river width, and (3) the plastic polymer composition. Several waterways in Indonesia and Vietnam contain up to four orders of magnitude more plastic than waterways in Italy, France, and The Netherlands in terms of plastic items per hour. We present a first transcontinental overview of plastic transport, providing observational evidence that, for the sampled rivers, Asian rivers transport considerably more plastics towards the ocean. New insights are presented in the magnitude, composition, and spatiotemporal variation of riverine plastic debris. We emphasize the urgent need for more long-term monitoring efforts. Accurate data on riverine plastic debris are extremely important to improve global and local modeling approaches and to optimize prevention and collection strategies.

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“…In estuaries, hydrological factors such as increased river flow (due to rainfall) play an important role in the level of MP pollution, particularly in surface water (Figure 5a), as MPs in freshwater and estuarine systems are thought to largely emanate from local urban run-off and wastewater effluent [53]. For example, Lima et al [54] reported almost three times higher MP loads during the wet season in a Brazilian estuary while Gündogdu et al [55] reported 14 times higher MP loads in Mersin Bay, Turkey, following flood events. In corroboration, the MP concentration in this study was three to fourteen times higher during the wet season in surface waters of the three urban estuaries (Figure 5a), all of which are known to receive large storm water inputs [56].…”

Section: Abundance Of Microplastics In Estuarine Watermentioning

confidence: 99%

Towards Characterising Microplastic Abundance, Typology and Retention in Mangrove-Dominated Estuaries

Govender

Naidoo

Rajkaran

et al. 2020

Water

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Plastic and, particularly, microplastic (MP) pollution is a growing research theme, dedicated largely to marine systems. Occurring at the land–sea interface, estuarine habitats such as mangroves are at risk of plastic pollution. This study compared MP pollution (level, morphotype, polymer composition, size and colour) across four South African estuaries, in relation to the built and natural environment. Mouth status, surrounding human population densities and land-use practices influenced the level and type of MP pollution. Systems that were most at risk were predominantly open estuaries surrounded by high population densities and diverse land use types. Microplastic levels and the diversity of types detected increased with increasing levels of anthropogenic disturbance. Overall, microfibres dominated in estuarine water (69%) and mangrove sediment (51%). Polyethylene (43%) and polypropylene (23%) were the dominant polymers overall. Weathered fishing gear, weathered packaging items and run-off from urban/industrial centres are probable sources of MP pollution . Increased run-off and river input during the wet/rainy season may explain the markedly higher MP loads in estuarine waters relative to the dry season. By contrast, MP deposition in mangrove sediment was higher during the dry season. Sediment MP abundance was significantly positively correlated with both pneumatophore density and sediment size (500–2000 µm). This study highlights the role of mangroves as MP sinks, which may limit movement of MPs into adjacent environments. However, under conditions such as flooding and extreme wave action, mangroves may shift from sinks to sources of plastic pollution.

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How microplastics quantities increase with flood events? An example from Mersin Bay NE Levantine coast of Turkey

Cited by 161 publications

References 37 publications

A closer look at anthropogenic fiber ingestion in Aristeus antennatus in the NW Mediterranean Sea: Differences among years and locations and impact on health condition

A closer look at anthropogenic fiber ingestion in Aristeus antennatus in the NW Mediterranean Sea: Differences among years and locations and impact on health condition

Abundance of plastic debris across European and Asian rivers

Towards Characterising Microplastic Abundance, Typology and Retention in Mangrove-Dominated Estuaries

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