First record of 'plasticrusts' and 'pyroplastic' from the Mediterranean Sea

MARINE POLLUTION BULLETIN

卷:151

Article

Ehlers, Sonja M.^1,2  Ellrich, Julius A.³ 

[1] Fed Inst Hydrol, Dept Anim Ecol, Mainzer Tor 1, D-56068 Koblenz, Germany

[2] Univ Koblenz Landau, Inst Integrated Nat Sci, Univ Str 1, D-56070 Koblenz, Germany

[3] St Josef Str 25, D-56068 Koblenz, Germany

关键词: Plastic debris;    Rocky intertidal;    Sandy beach;    Giglio island;    Tyrrhenian Sea;    Italy;   

DOI  :  10.1016/j.marpolbul.2019.110845

来源: Elsevier

【 摘 要 】

We report the presence of 'plasticrusts' and 'pyroplastic' from coastal habitats in Giglio island, Tyrrhenian Sea, Italy. These novel plastic debris types have only recently been described for the first time from Madeira island (NE Atlantic Ocean) and the United Kingdom, respectively. While 'plasticrusts' are generated by sea waves smashing plastic debris against intertidal rocks, 'pyroplastic' derives from (un)deliberately burnt plastic waste. Using Fourier-transform infrared (FFIR) spectroscopy, we identified the 'plasticrust' material as polyethylene (PE) and the 'pyroplastic' material as polyethylene terephthalate (PET). These polymers are widely used in everyday products and, therefore, contribute heavily to plastic pollution in aquatic and terrestrial environments worldwide. Furthermore, our field surveys suggest that 'plasticrust' abundance is related to wave-exposure and that the 'pyroplastic' derived from beverage bottles which we frequently found along the Giglio coast. Overall, our findings corroborate the notion that 'plasticrusts' and 'pyroplastic' are common debris types in marine coastal habitats.

【 授权许可】

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