This study aims to address the identified research gap by investigating the effects of marine anthropogenic litter on well-being, public health, and equity in two mangrove communities, Puerto Hondo and Isla Santay, located in the Gulf of Guayaquil, Ecuador, in 2019 and 2021. Santay Island respondents expressed that marine litter is an extreme issue affecting their well-being, while Puerto Hondo respondents reported less concern about the same. The research in this study points out that Puerto Hondo’s geographic link to Guayaquil City has transitioned the community into a “peri-urban” landscape, where community members increasingly look inland for basic needs. Whereas Santay Island, which is isolated by estuarine water, is physically linked to the mangroves. This study illustrates the complexities of plastic use and marine debris as well as fosters equitable plastic waste governance for exposed coastal Ecuadorian communities.
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,[…]