article · Marine Pollution Bulletin
An assessment of 19 sandy beaches along the eastern Mediterranean coast of Morocco revealed a moderate level of microplastic contamination in sediment samples. Concentrations ranged between 40 and 230 microplastics per kilogram of sediment. Fibres represented the dominant shape, accounting for nearly three quarters of the particles, followed by fragments, films, pellets, and foams. In terms of size, larger microplastics between one and five millimetres made up the majority of the collected material, with the highest concentration observed in the one to two millimetre sediment fraction. Most of the particles were angular, irregularly shaped, and transparent or blue. Chemical analysis confirmed that polyethylene, polystyrene, polypropylene, and polyvinyl chloride were the most prevalent polymers present along this coastline.
Plastic debris breaks down into microplastics that contaminate coastal environments and threaten marine life. By identifying the exact amounts, shapes, and chemical varieties of plastics contaminating Moroccan beaches, this baseline data helps environmental monitors and coastal managers track pollution sources, assess ecological risks, and understand the extent of synthetic waste in Mediterranean habitats.
The abstract does not indicate an application pathway, as it focuses strictly on an environmental monitoring survey of microplastic presence and composition.
AI-generated from the published abstract. Always read the original work before citing.
Microplastics (MPs) were investigated at 19 sandy beaches along the eastern Mediterranean Moroccan coast. Sediment samples (5 mm–63 μm) were analyzed to identify MPs abundance, size, shape, color and nature. MPs concentration ranged from 40 ± 7.4 to 230 ± 48.6 MPs kg−1; fibrous MPs were the most abundant (74.72 %), followed by fragments (20.26 %), films (3.27 %), pellets (1.42 %) and foams (0.33 %). Large MPs (1–5 mm) accounted for 58 %, while small (< 1 mm) for 42 %. The 1–2 mm fraction of sediments presented the greatest amounts (30.67 %) of MPs. Transparent (50 %) and blue (17 %) were most common colors and most of particles were angular and irregularly shaped. Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR) analysis showed that PE (Polyethylene), PS (Polystyrene) and PP (Polypropylene) and PVC (Polyvinyl chloride) were the most common polymers. These findings revealed a moderate level of microplastic pollution along the beaches of the eastern Moroccan Mediterranean coast.
This page summarises published work. The authoritative version sits with the publisher.
DOI: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2024.116144
Is something wrong with this record? Report it or request removal.
Discussion
Have you built on this work, tried to replicate it, or seen it applied in practice? Share what you know. Verified researchers and MARATTO™ domain experts can open a discussion, and any member can reply. Contributions are reviewed before they appear.
No discussion yet. Open the first thread.
New to MARATTO™? Create a free account.
