A study reviewed the microplastic contamination in coastal lagoons all over the world and issued a warning about the prevalence of fibers and fragments of polyethylene, polyester and polypropylene in these ecosystems.
The report was published in the journal Environmental Pollution.
The study examines the body of published research on microplastic pollution in 50 coastal lagoons across 20 nations and continents.
Lagoons along the coast serve as transitional ecosystems between interior and coastal water systems; human activity has an impact on these environments as well.
Globally, the coastal lagoons of Lagos (Nigeria), Sakumo (Ghana), and Bizerte (Tunisia) are among the worst affected by microplastic contamination because they are close to major urban centers and lack waste and sewage treatment facilities.
The highest microplastic concentrations, however, have been found in Barnes Sound and other little lagoons in a protected area to the north of Florida Bay (USA), a unique example that can be explained by the movement of microplastics brought by hurricanes from polluted places.
Lagoons along the coast are crucial for preserving biodiversity.
To the local inhabitants who depend on them, they also serve as the primary suppliers of food and other ecological services.
Peak microplastic pollution levels are caused by a confluence of various causes in these natural ecosystems.
The first author of the article and researcher Ostin Garcés-Ordóez, a member of the Consolidated Research Group in Marine Geosciences, lists a few of these factors.
“For instance, the residence time and water renewal rate of lagoons, the presence of large urban and industrial developments with inadequate waste management, river and outfall discharges, seasonal climate fluctuations, natural phenomena (hurricanes, typhoons, etc.), and the typology of microplastics,” he adds
“During the rainy season, the concentration of microplastics also increases in surface water compared to the dry season, a phenomenon that has been observed in the lagoon of Rio Lagarto (Mexico) and in the Ciénaga Grande de Santa Marta (Colombia), with maximum levels in areas where the most intense human activities are recorded,” says Garcés-Ordóez, a member of the Colombian Institute of Marine and Coastal Research.
We can categorically state that the many environmental components of coastal lagoons, including the waters, sediments, and creatures that call these environments home, are receptors of microplastics and are impacted by the pollution they generate. According to Miquel Canals, “We do not yet know the extent to which coastal lagoons serve as final sinks for microplastics.
According to Canals, “preventing microplastic pollution from entering natural systems from the roots is the greatest strategy to confront and minimize the problem of microplastic pollution in general and in coastal lagoons especially.
The sources and factors that encourage their entry into coastal lagoons and other ecosystems must be addressed.
The study comes to the conclusion that in order to achieve this goal, a number of coordinated efforts at the international, regional, national and local levels are needed, including the establishment of adequate regulatory frameworks and the effective management of waste and wastewater discharged into aquatic ecosystems.
Source: University of Barcelona
