This study provides an integrative analysis of the socio-economic factors that characterise the beach litter distribution in continental Portugal and the Azores archipelago. The results from the study highlighted that the most abundant beach litter material found was plastic (92.9%), followed by paper (2.2%), wood (1.5%), and metal (1.3%), and that the majority of the items could not be attributed to a specific source. The top-three beach litter categories identified were small plastic pieces (0–2.5 cm, 43.5%), cigarette butts (30.1%), and medium plastic pieces (2.5–50 cm, 26.4%). A positive relationship was also found between the municipality, environmental expenditures, population density, and the quantity and typology of litter. Beach litter quantity and categories were also associated with specific economic sectors as well as with geographical and hydrodynamic conditions, demonstrating the utility of the technique and its applicability to other regions. This study provides an integrative analysis of the socio-economic factors that characterise the beach litter distribution in continental Portugal and the Azores archipelago. The results from the study highlighted that the most abundant beach litter material found was plastic (92.9%), followed by paper (2.2%), wood (1.5%), and metal (1.3%), and that the majority of the items could not be attributed to a specific source. The top-three beach litter categories identified were small plastic pieces (0–2.5 cm, 43.5%), cigarette butts (30.1%), and medium plastic pieces (2.5–50 cm, 26.4%). A positive relationship was also found between the municipality, environmental expenditures, population density, and the quantity and typology of litter. Beach litter quantity and categories were also associated with specific economic sectors as well as with geographical and hydrodynamic conditions, demonstrating the utility of the technique and its applicability to other regions.
This paper characterizes the fungal and bacterial colonizers of 5 types of plastic films (High-Density Polyethylene, Low-Density Polyethylene, Polypropylene, Polystyrene, and Polyethylene Terephthalate) throughout a 242-day incubation in the south-eastern Mediterranean and relates them to the chemical changes observed on the surface of the samples via ATR-FTIR. Neither bacterial nor fungal community structures were related[…]
This paper provides insights into the sustainable alternatives that can replace conventional plastic mulches, such as biodegradable mulches made from natural fibers and biopolymers. The microscopic and FTIR analyses conducted during the study showed the degradation of the fibers from the mulches during the exposure time to a certain extent. The nonwoven mulches provide higher[…]
This paper investigates the degradation of biodegradable polybutylene adipate terephthalate/polylactic acid (PBAT/PLA) and traditional polyethylene (PE) plastic under two typical abiotic conditions: ultraviolet (UV) irradiation and mechanical abrasion (MA) for up to nine months. The quantitative analysis of the degradation products was carried out using membrane filtration and total organic carbon determination (MF-TOCD). The results[…]
This paper identifies technological innovation, policy formulation, advocacy and sensitization, and bioremediation as some of the approaches that are currently used for the mitigation of plastic pollution in Nigeria. This chapter also highlights the need to encourage, enhance, and disseminate scientific research on mitigating the harmful effects of plastic pollution in Nigeria. It concluded with[…]
This review provides insights into the sources of microplastics, the ecotoxicity of microplastics, and the impact microplastics have on aquatic and marine life, management, and bioremediation of microplastics. Policies and strategies adopted by the government to combat microplastic pollution are also discussed in this review. Microplastics tend to accumulate in many aquatic systems, contaminate them,[…]