microplastics

Incidence of microplastics in the marine ecosystem of the Cíes Islands & surrounding areas of Atlantic Islands National Park, Galicia (NW Spain): seabirds as vectors of plastic contamination

Enlace mardeaves ESPECIES,Larus michahellis,REPOSITORIO,TESE ,,,
Senes, G.P., 2023. Incidence of microplastics in the marine ecosystem of the Cíes Islands & surrounding areas of Atlantic Islands National Park, Galicia (NW Spain): seabirds as vectors of plastic contamination. Mestrado em Sistemas Marinhos e Costeiros. Universidade do Algarve.

The Atlantic coast of Galicia (Spain) is home to a region called the Rías Baixas where the Atlantic Island National Park and the Cíes Islands lie. These islands are home to the Larus michahellis, or yellow-legged gull. This species is a transport vector for microplastic analysis. The study was conducted in April and focused on cast pellet as well as excrement samples of the yellow-legged gull. KOH and H2O2 digestion and density separation using a ZnCl2 solution were utilized alongside the aid of RAMAN spectroscopy to identify microplastics. Sampling of the sand at Rodas beach was conducted alongside a marine litter survey to quantify the amount of plastic contamination present in the island. The results show that microplastics are present in both the yellow-legged gull samples. Microplastics were present mostly in fiber form (68% of MPs in cast pellets and 48.4% in excrement), with the most common plastic types being sulphones (26% in cast pellets and 29% in excrement), polypropylene (20% in cast pellets and 32.3% in excrement), and cellulose (26% in cast pellets and 19.4% in excrement). Most MP colors were dark (blue, purple, and black; 76% in cast pellets and 71% in excrement) and followed the findings of previous researchers. Additionally, Estimates show that 12.63 million particles of microplastics are deposited each year by the feces of Larus michahellis in the Cíes Islands. The quantity of microplastic items in the sand of Rodas beach can be estimated to be approximately 1.1 million items within the first 5 cm of depth. Sand samples show primarily fibers (49%), with sulphone-based polymers as the most common (52.5%), and dark colors (blue, purple, and black; 78%).

O Parque Nacional das Ilhas Atlânticas e as Ilhas Cíes localiza-se nas Rías Baixas, na costa atlântica da Galiza (Espanha). Estas ilhas são local de nidificação da gaivota-de-patas-amarelas (Larus michahellis), espécie conhecida como vetor de transporte de microplásticos. O estudo foi realizado em abril e concentrou-se em regurgitos, bem como em amostras de excrementos da gaivota-de-patas-amarelas. A digestão de KOH e H2O2 e a separação de densidade usando uma solução de ZnCl2 foram usadas juntamente com o auxílio da espectroscopia RAMAN para identificar os microplásticos. Amostras da areia da praia de Rodas foram realizadas paralelamente a um levantamento do lixo marinho para quantificar o nível de contaminação de plásticos presentes na ilha. Os resultados mostram que os microplásticos estão presentes em ambas as amostras de gaivotas-de-patas-amarelas. Estimativas mostram que 12,63 milhões de partículas de microplásticos são depositadas por ano pela população de Larus michahellis nas Ilhas Cíes. Além disso, os microplásticos foram encontrados principalmente na forma de fibra (68% dos MPs nos regurgitos e 48.4% nos excrementos), sulfonas (26% nos regurgitos e 29% nos excrementos), polipropileno (20% nos regurgitos e 32.3% nos excrementos) e celulose (26% nos regurgitos e 19.4% nos excrementos). Muitos dos itens encontrados foram de cor escura (azul, roxo, e preto; 76% nos nos regurgitos e 71% nos excrementos), estando de acordo com estudos anteriores. A quantidade de microplásticos na areia da Praia de Rodas pode ser estimada em aproximadamente 1,1 milhão de itens nos primeiros 5 cm de profundidade. As mostras de areia apresentam principalmente fibras (49%), o polímero mais comum nestas foi o derivado de sulfonas (52.5%), e de cor escuras (azul, roxo, e preto; 78%).

Microplastics in feces and pellets from yellow-legged gull (Larus michahellis) in the Atlantic Islands National Park of Galicia (NW Spain)

Enlace mardeaves ESPECIES,Larus michahellis,PUBLICACIÓN CIENTÍFICA,REPOSITORIO ,,,
Senes, G.P., Barboza, L.G.A., Nunes, L.M. and Otero, X.L., 2023. Microplastics in feces and pellets from yellow-legged gull (Larus michahellis) in the Atlantic Islands National Park of Galicia (NW Spain). Marine Pollution Bulletin, 195, p.115531.

The Atlantic Islands National Park (AINP) in Galicia (NW of Spain) are host to large colonies of yellow-legged gulls (Larus michahellis). Here, we aimed to provide baseline data for the presence of microplastics (MP) in feces and pellets regurgitated of these resident yellow-legged gulls within this unique ecosystem. MP particles found in the samples were of five shapes (fiber, fragment, foam, film and rubber) and the predominant color was blue. The main plastic polymers identified by Raman spectroscopy were polypropylene and cellulose. The average size of the MP particles in the regurgitations was larger than that in the feces. Considering the population of Larus michahellis in the AINP, our estimates suggested an annual deposition of approximately 32.2 million of MP particles from feces and regurgitated pellets in the area..

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The use of European shag pellets as indicators of microplastic fibers in the marine environment

Enlace mardeaves ESPECIES,Phalacrocorax aristotelis,PUBLICACIÓN CIENTÍFICA ,,,
Álvarez, G., Barros, Á. and Velando, A., 2018. The use of European shag pellets as indicators of microplastic fibers in the marine environment. Marine Pollution Bulletin, 137, pp.444-448.

Microplastic particles are abundant marine pollutants that are ingested by many seabirds. Some seabirds regurgitate non-digestible materials in the form of pellets and their analysis may be useful to study the abundance of plastic debris at the local scale. Here, we aimed to provide baseline data for the presence of microplastics in pellets regurgitated by European shags (Phalacrocorax aristotelis) (n = 41) in the Iberia peninsula (NW Spain). We found microplastic fibers in 63% of pellets, suggesting that this type of plastic pollution is prevalent in the study area. According to Fourier Transform Infrared spectrometry, nylon fibers were the most abundant, followed by polyester. We also found that the presence of microplastics was higher in pellets containing remains of benthic fishes. Our results suggest that shag pellets may be useful to monitor microplastic pollution in coastal waters.