Plasticrusts: A new potential threat in the Anthropocene's rocky shores

Gestoso, Ignácio; Cacabelos, Eva; Ramalhosa, Patrício; Canning‐Clode, João

doi:10.1016/j.scitotenv.2019.06.123

Cited by 83 publications

(59 citation statements)

References 8 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Unclassified

Order By: Relevance

“…The extent of the plasticrust is variable in terms of area and colour. On the coast of Madeira, thicknesses between 0.77 ± 0.1 mm have been detected in the middle to upper tidal zone [174]. Plasticrust on the coast of Giglio was between 0.5 and 0.7 mm thick in the middle tidal zone.…”

Section: Terrestrial Environmentsmentioning

confidence: 92%

The Way of Macroplastic through the Environment

et al. 2020

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

With the focus on microplastic in current research, macroplastic is often not further considered. Thus, this review paper is the first to analyse the entry paths, accumulation zones, and sinks of macroplastic in the aquatic, terrestrial, and atmospheric environment by presenting transport paths and concentrations in the environment as well as related risks. This is done by applying the Source–Pathway–Receptor model on macroplastic in the environment. Based on this model, the life cycle of macroplastic is structurally described, and knowledge gaps are identified. Hence, current research aspects on macroplastic as well as a sound delimitation between macro- and microplastic that can be applied to future research are indicated. The results can be used as basic information for further research and show a qualitative assessment of the impact of macroplastic that ends up in the environment and accumulates there. Furthermore, the applied model allows for the first time a quantitative and structured approach to macroplastic in the environment.

show abstract

Section: Terrestrial Environmentsmentioning

confidence: 92%

The Way of Macroplastic through the Environment

et al. 2020

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…'Plasticrusts' are generated by sea waves smashing plastic debris against rugose rocks ). Interestingly, 'plasticrust' abundance was much higher in Madeira (9.46 ± 1.77 % cover, mean ± SE; Gestoso et al 2019) than in Giglio (0.02 ± 0.01 % cover) on rocks of similar rugosity , Fig. 1 A-C).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 90%

First record of ‘plasticrusts’ and ‘pyroplastic’ from the European Mediterranean Sea

Ehlers

Ellrich

2019

Preprint

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

We report the presence of 'plasticrusts' and 'pyroplastic' from coastal habitats in Giglio island, Tyrrhenian Sea, Italy. These novel plastic debris types have only recently been described for the first time from Madeira island (NE Atlantic Ocean) and the United Kingdom, respectively. While 'plasticrusts' are generated by sea waves smashing plastic debris against intertidal rocks, 'pyroplastic' derives from (un)deliberately burnt plastic waste. Using Fourier-transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, we identified the 'plasticrust' material as polyethylene (PE) and the 'pyroplastic' material as polyethylene terephthalate (PET). These polymers are widely used in everyday products and, therefore, contribute heavily to plastic pollution in aquatic and terrestrial environments worldwide. Furthermore, our field surveys suggest that 'plasticrust' abundance is related to wave-exposure and that the 'pyroplastic' derived from beverage bottles which we frequently found along the Giglio coast. Overall, our findings corroborate the notion that 'plasticrusts' and 'pyroplastic' are common debris types in marine coastal habitats.

show abstract

“…Microplastics have also been found in environmental samples of marine snow, composed of settling organic matter (Zhao et al 2017). The abundance and ubiquity of microplastics is also leading to their incorporation in the geological cycle, by deposition in sedimentary rock, used as a stratigraphic marker for the current Anthropocene epoch (Zalasiewicz et al 2016), by melting on beach bonfires, producing "plastiglomerates" (Corcoran et al 2014), or by encrustation in rocky surfaces in the intertidal shores, producing the so-called plasticrusts (Gestoso et al 2019). In beach sediments, microplastics have shown to decrease the thermal diffusivity and thermal capacity of sand, with potentially disastrous consequences to organisms when sand temperature is implicated in sexdetermination, such as sea turtles (Carson et al 2011).…”

Section: Impacts On Environment and Human Health Of Atmospheric Contamentioning

confidence: 99%