This paper assesses plastic pollution using a standardised surface sediment sampling protocol on 22 sandy beaches along more than 4600 km of the Brazilian coast. The abundance, size, colour, type, and polymeric composition of all meso- and microplastic items found in the surveys were processed to disclose spatial patterns of distribution and pollution-associated drivers. From the analysis, it was found that 3114 plastic items were found, with microplastics comprising just over half of all items (54%). Most items were found to be either white (60%) or blue (13%), while polystyrene foam (45%) and fragments (39%) comprised the most abundant plastic types. The principal polymers that were seen are polyethylene (40%) and polypropylene (32%). The analyses of the study indicated that the distribution of plastic litter along beaches is determined by three predictive variables: the distance to the nearest estuary, tourism, and the number of inhabitants in the nearest urban center.
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,[…]