Search

Packaging can play a substantial role in moving towards more sustainable food systems by affecting the amount of food loss and waste. However, the use of plastic packaging gives rise to environmental concerns, such as high energy and fossil resource use, and waste management issues such as marine litter. Alternative biobased biodegradable materials, such as poly(3-hydroxybutyrate-co-3-hydroxyvalerate) (PHBV) could address some of these issues. For a careful comparison in terms of environmental sustainability between fossil-based, non-biodegradable and alternative plastic food packaging, not only production but also food preservation and end-of-life (EoL) fate must be considered. Life cycle assessment (LCA) can be used to evaluate the environmental performance, but the environmental burden of plastics released into the natural environment is not yet embedded in classical LCA. Therefore, a new indicator is being developed that accounts for the effect of plastic litter on marine ecosystems, one of the main burdens of plastic's EoL fate: lifetime costs on marine ecosystem services. This indicator enables a quantitative assessment and thus addresses a major criticism of plastic packaging LCA. The comprehensive analysis is performed on the case of falafel packaged in PHBV and conventional polypropylene (PP) packaging. Considering the impact per kilogram of packaged falafel consumed, food ingredients make the largest contribution. The LCA results indicate a clear preference for the use of PP trays, both in terms of (1) impact of packaging production and dedicated EoL treatment and (2) packaging-related impacts. This is mainly due to the higher mass and volume of the alternative tray. Nevertheless, since PHBV has limited persistence in the environment compared to PP packaging, the lifetime costs for marine ES are about seven times lower, and this despite its higher mass. Although further refinements are needed, the additional indicator allows for a more balanced evaluation of plastic packaging.

Southeast Asia is considered to have some of the highest levels of marine plastic pollution in the world. It is therefore vitally important to increase our understanding of the impacts and risks of plastic pollution to marine ecosystems and the essential services they provide to support the development of mitigation measures in the region. An interdisciplinary, international network of experts (Australia, Indonesia, Ireland, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, the United Kingdom, and Vietnam) set a research agenda for marine plastic pollution in the region, synthesizing current knowledge and highlighting areas for further research in Southeast Asia. Using an inductive method, 21 research questions emerged under five non-predefined key themes, grouping them according to which: (1) characterise marine plastic pollution in Southeast Asia; (2) explore its movement and fate across the region; (3) describe the biological and chemical modifications marine plastic pollution undergoes; (4) detail its environmental, social, and economic impacts; and, finally, (5) target regional policies and possible solutions. Questions relating to these research priority areas highlight the importance of better understanding the fate of marine plastic pollution, its degradation, and the impacts and risks it can generate across communities and different ecosystem services. Knowledge of these aspects will help support actions which currently suffer from transboundary problems, lack of responsibility, and inaction to tackle the issue from its point source in the region. Being profoundly affected by marine plastic pollution, Southeast Asian countries provide an opportunity to test the effectiveness of innovative and socially inclusive changes in marine plastic governance, as well as both high and low-tech solutions, which can offer insights and actionable models to the rest of the world.

9 pages, 4 figures, 4 tables, supplementary data https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.163040.-- Data availability: Data will be made available on request, The loggerhead sea turtle (Caretta caretta) has been selected as sentinel species by the Marine Strategy Framework Directive (MSFD) descriptor 10 in relation to marine litter. In this, and other protected species, there is a need to develop conservative pollution biomarkers equally informative of chemical exposures to those traditionally carried out in metabolic organs, such as the liver. With this aim, plasma from turtles undergoing rehabilitation at the Fundació Oceanogràfic rescue centre (Arca del Mar) were selected and tested for B-esterase measurements. Hydrolysis rates of acetylcholinesterase (AChE), butyrylcholinesterase (BChE) and carboxylesterases (CEs) using four commercial substrates were undertaken on 191 plasma samples. Results indicated that acetylthiocholine was the most adequate substrate of cholinesterases and butyrate esters for CE measures. The correlation of these parameters with well-established blood biochemistry measurements was analysed. B-esterase measures in wild specimens were discussed in relation to age group, pathology on admission to the rescue centre and season; moreover, contrasts with long-term resident turtles were also made. Although this study provides baseline data on B-esterase measures in a large sample size for this species, more complementary information is still needed in terms of population genetics, chemical exposures, and in relation to other biochemical parameters before they can be confidently applied in wild specimens within the regulatory MSFD, To the institutional support of the ‘Severo Ochoa Centre of Excellence’ accreditation (CEX2019-000928-S). This work has received funding from CSIC Interdisciplinary Thematic Platform (PTI+) Interdisciplinary Platform for Sustainable Plastics towards a Circular Economy+ (PTI-SusPlast+

Plastic pollution is one of the most challenging problems affecting the marine environment of our time. Based on a unique dataset covering four European seas and eight European countries, this paper adds to the limited empirical evidence base related to the societal welfare effects of marine litter management. We use a discrete choice experiment to elicit public willingness-to-pay (WTP) for macro and micro plastic removal to achieve Good Environmental Status across European seas as required by the European Marine Strategy Framework Directive. Using a common valuation design and following best-practice guidelines, we draw comparisons between countries, seas and policy contexts. European citizens have strong preferences to improve the environmental status of the marine environment by removing and reducing both micro and macro plastic litter and implementing preventive measures favouring a pan-European approach. However, public WTP estimates differ significantly across European countries and seas. We explain why and discuss implications for policymaking.

Made available in DSpace on 2022-04-29T08:38:46Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 0 Previous issue date: 2022-01-01 Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES) Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq) Fundação de Amparo à Ciência e Tecnologia do Estado de Pernambuco Microplastics are a relevant environmental concern in marine ecosystems due to their ubiquity. However, knowledge on their dispersion patterns within the ocean basin and the interaction with biota are scarce and mostly limited to surface waters. This study investigated microplastic contamination in two species of deep-sea cephalopods from the southwestern Atlantic with different ecological behaviour: the vampire squid (Vampyroteuthis infernalis) and the midwater squid (Abralia veranyi). Microplastic contaminated most of the evaluated specimens. V. infernalis showed higher levels of contamination (9.58 ± 8.25 particles individual−1; p < 0.05) than A. veranyi (2.37 ± 2.13 part. ind.−1), likely due to the feeding strategy of V. infernalis as a faecal pellets feeder. The size of extracted microplastics was inversely proportional to the depth of foraging. The microplastics were highly heterogeneous in composition (shape, colour and polymer type). Our results provide information regarding microplastic interaction with deep-sea organisms and evidence of the biological influence in the microplastic sinking mechanism. Departamento de Pesca e Aquicultura (DEPAQ) da Universidade Federal Rural de Pernambuco (UFRPE), Rua Dom Manuel de Medeiros, s/n Université de Toulon Aix Marseille Univ. CNRS IRD MIO Institut de Recherche pour le Développement (IRD) MARBEC Univ Montpellier CNRS Ifremer IRD Universidade Estadual Paulista Júlio de Mesquita Filho (UNESP) UNESP CLP Instituto de Biociências, Campus do Litoral Paulista Universidade Estadual Paulista Júlio de Mesquita Filho (UNESP) UNESP CLP Instituto de Biociências, Campus do Litoral Paulista CNPq: 305014/2016-1 CNPq: 312211/2017-1 Fundação de Amparo à Ciência e Tecnologia do Estado de Pernambuco: BFP-0049-5.06/20 Fundação de Amparo à Ciência e Tecnologia do Estado de Pernambuco: BFP-0107-5.06/21

The distribution of floating litter in marine waters, influenced by currents and wind drag, often determines the dispersal of its encrusting fauna. In the present paper, we observed for the first time the colonization of rafting floats from abandoned, lost or derelict fishing gears (ALDFG) by the four protected deep-sea species: Errina aspera, Desmophyllum pertusum, Madrepora oculata Pachylasma giganteum. Overall, 41 floats, colonized by deep benthic species, were found stranded on the shore of the Sicilian coast of the Strait of Messina, between 2016 and 2019. Species composition, number and occurrence of colonizing organisms were analyzed. On the basis of the species composition (the association between E. aspera, P. giganteum and Megabalanus tulipiformis), the knowledge on their ecology, biogeography, path of local currents, it was possible to define that the area of origin of the most part of these fishing net floats was the Strait of Messina.

The development of monitoring programs based on bioindicators is crucial for assessing the impact of microplastic ingestion on marine organisms. This study presents results from an Italian pilot action aimed at investigating the suitability of a monitoring strategy based on a multispecies approach. The benthic-feeder Mullus barbatus, the demersal species Merluccius merluccius, and the pelagic-feeder species of the genus Scomber were used to assess the environmental contamination by microplastics in three different marine areas, namely Ancona (Adriatic Sea), Anzio (Tyrrhenian Sea), and Oristano (Western Sardinia). Microplastic ingestion frequencies were higher in samples from Anzio (26.7 %) and Ancona (25.0 %) than Oristano (14.4 %), suggesting a relationship between microplastic bioavailability and the proximity to urban settlements and river flows. Furthermore, microplastic ingestion was affected by the feeding habits of the examined species. The detected differences reinforce the hypothesis that a multispecies approach is needed to evaluate microplastic ingestion by marine animals.

The Bay of Biscay is being affected by increasing level of marine litter, which is causing a wide variety of adverse environmental, social, public health, safety and economic impacts. The term “beach littering” has been coined to refer to the marine litter that is deposited on beaches. This litter may come from the sea and through land-based pathways, either from remote or adjacent areas. Dirty beaches can derive in loss of aesthetical value, beach cleaning cost, environmental harm or tourism revenue reduction among others. Therefore, local authorities have started to search for cost-effective approaches to understand and reduce litter accumulation in their beaches. A model is presented in this paper, which is based on Bayesian Networks and enables the forecasting of marine litter beaching at seven beaches located on the south-eastern coast of the Bay of Biscay. The model uses 9.5 years of metocean, environmental and beach cleaning data. The class to predict was defined as a variable with two possible values: Low and High accumulation of beach litter. The obtained models reached an average accuracy of 65.3 ± 6.4%, being the river flow, precipitation, wind and wave the most significant predictors and likely drivers of litter accumulation in beaches. These models may provide some insight to local authorities on the drivers affecting the litter beaching and may help to define their strategies for its reduction., This research was supported by the European Union (LIFE LEMA project, LIFE15/ENV/ES/000252). Igor Granado has been benefited from a grant from the Training of Technologists Programme of the Department of Economic Development and Infrastructures of the Basque Government. Jose A. Fernandes work is funded by the Gipuzkoa Talent Fellowships by Gipuzkoa Provincial Council. Jerónimo Hernández-González holds a grant (Juan de la Cierva - Incorporación) from the Spanish Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities.

This is a preprint (pre-peer reviewed) version of the following final paper: "Chiara Molino, Silvia Filippi, Gerardo Antonio Stoppiello, Roberta Meschini, Dario Angeletti, In vitro evaluation of cytotoxic and genotoxic effects of Di(2-ethylhexyl)-phthalate (DEHP) on European sea bass (Dicentrarchus labrax) embryonic cell line, published in Toxicology in Vitro, Volume 56, 2019, Pages 118-125https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tiv.2019.01.017" Marine litter is extensively distributed in the marine environment, and plastic debris, of which litter is mostly composed, can be a major source ofpollutants. Among them,Di(2-ethylhexyl)-phthalate(DEHP) is the most abundantly used plastic additive, and it has been reported to affectbiochemical processesboth in humans and wildlife; however, studies on itstoxicological effectson marine organisms are still scarce. In this survey, we studied the cytotoxic, genotoxic, and mutagenic effects ofDEHPinEuropean sea bassembryoniccell line(DLEC) by applying specificin vitrotests. Results showed a significant decrease in cell viability starting at 0.01 mM of DEHP after 24 h together with a significant increase inapoptosisandnecrosis, morphological changes and cell detachment. Consistently, we detected a moderate increase in DNA strand breaks from 0.02 mM, and a dose-dependent increase in of micronucleus frequency from 0.01 mM, accompanied by a significant inhibition ofcell proliferation, which suggested a possible aneugenic effect of thisphthalate. Our results demonstrate thatin vitroexposure to DEHP had a dose-dependent cytotoxic and genotoxic effects in DLEC cell line, encouraging further investigation into its effects inin vivoand/orex vivocell systems of marine organisms.

In order to have a wider understanding of the impacts of plastics on marine ecosystems, studies should approach different environmental compartments, such as seafloor and biota, at the same time. The aim of this research is to study the relation between microplastic ingestion in species and the amount of seafloor plastics caught in the same bottom trawls hauls of the western Mediterranean Sea to describe a potential overlap between these two indicators of plastic pollution. According to results, 15% of the sampled individuals ingested microplastics with a mean value of 0.30 ± 0.40 microplastics/individuals. Regarding seafloor plastics, these were present in 58% of the hauls with a mean value of 1.31 ± 0.09 kg/km2. The highest overlap between ingestion of microplastic in species and seafloor plastics was observed in the bay of Palma, the most urbanized area, but also in areas close to Marine Protected Areas (MPAs)., SI

10 pages, 6 figures, 1 table, supplementary data https://doi.org/10.1016/j.marpolbul.2020.111399, We quantified the incidence of microplastics in the gut contents of the European sardine (Sardina pilchardus) and anchovy (Engraulis encrasicolus) in the Northwestern Mediterranean Sea and tested which variables influence this abundance, including the prevalence of parasites (i.e., trematoda larvae and nematodes). We detected a 58% occurrence of microplastics ingestion in sardines and a 60% in anchovies. With respect to sardines, the individuals with lower body conditions were found to have the highest microplastics ingestion probabilities, whereas in anchovies such probabilities were observed in individuals with higher gonadosomatic indices and smaller size. The areas with the highest microplastics ingestion probabilities were the Gulf of Alicante for sardines and the Gulf of Lion - Ebro Delta for anchovies. Both species showed a positive relationship between parasites and microplastics ingestion. These results highlight that both parasitism and ingestion of microplastics are concerns for the health of marine stocks and human consumers, This study was carried out within PELWEB (CTM2017-88939-R) and PELCAT (CAT 152CAT00013, TAIS ARP059/19/00005) projects. [...] MEDITS data collection has been co-funded by the EU through the European Maritime and Fisheries Fund (EMFF) within the National Program of collection, management and use of data in the fisheries sector and support for scientific advice regarding the Common Fisheries Policy, With the funding support of the ‘Severo Ochoa Centre of Excellence’ accreditation (CEX2019-000928-S), of the Spanish Research Agency (AEI)

9 pages, 5 figures.-- Under a Creative Commons license, Small microplastics (SMPs) in the gulf of Cadiz was sampled at 5 m depth by pumping it through the ship's pipe system and filtered through a 45 μm mesh size net. Our study reveals that higher densities have been found (130 mg·m−3) compared to other regions worldwide and these densities decreased from the coastline to the outer stations, showing a general coastal gradient influenced by estuarine outflows. SMPs with a size range between 45 and 193 μm were predominant and most of them composed by polyethylene and polypropylene. The metals associated with the MPs were mainly Na (21.1%), K (11.3%), Fe (8.5%), Ca (2.1%), Cr (1.8%), Zr (13.3%) and Hf (0.7%). The high proportion of Zr compared to Fe, which is different from what can be found in the environment, suggests that this metal is intrinsic to the materials used in catalytic processes during plastic production, Financial support to EGO and the instrument was given by CSIC through Intramural Research program 2018 under grant number 201830I081. MS is grateful to the Spanish Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities for the Juan de la Cierva (TJFI-2017-32493) contract. DGF was funded by European Union's H2020-MSCA-IF-2018 846843—LitRivus

Marine litter is an ever-increasing problem that demands immediate reduction plans and mitigation actions that should act synergically to efficiently meet ambitious goals. Since the seafloor has been recognized as the major sink for marine debris, the study of litter accumulation dynamics represent a fundamental tool to evaluate possible removal actions. We analysed a 7 years (2013–2019) standardized data series collected along Sardinian fishing grounds through MEDiterranean International Trawl Survey, for which estimates of density and weight of seafloor macro-litter were calculated for over 707 hauls. Results show the absence of any temporal trend in seafloor macro-litter density and weight, but rather indicate a spatial and bathymetric segregation of different litter categories. Our data showed how different sources and physical features of macro-litter items (i.e., plastic and fishing gear, rubber, glass, metals, and cloth) led to spatially segregated accumulation hotspots. We also point out here how the identification of seafloor macro-litter hotspots using aggregated data that include plastic items could obscure the identification of other segregated but yet relevant hotspots of other macro-litter categories accumulated in the marine environment. These hotspots often occurred at shallower depths and closer to coastlines, thus representing potential spots where eventual future litter removal action could be prioritized.

Few studies have focused so far on plastic ingestion by sharks in the Mediterranean Sea. The aim of this paper was to determine, for the first time, the plastic litter ingested by blue sharks (Prionace glauca), categorized as "Critically Endangered" in the Mediterranean Sea by IUCN, caught in the Pelagos Sanctuary SPAMI (North-Western Mediterranean Sea). The analysis of the stomach contents was performed following the MSFD Descriptor 10 standard protocol implemented with FT-IR spectroscopy technique. The results showed that 25.26% of sharks ingested plastic debris of wide scale of sizes from microplastics (5 mm) to macroplastics (25 mm). The polyethylene sheetlike user plastics, widely used as packaging material, are the most ingested debris. This research raises a warning alarm on the impact of plastic debris on a threatened species, with a key role in the food web, and adds important information for futures mitigation actions.

Four sandy beaches on the island of Malta in the Central Mediterranean were regularly sampled for Large MicroPlastic (LMP) particles having a diameter between 1 mm and 5 mm, at stations located at the waterline and 10 m inshore. The 10975 extracted LMP particles were characterised (dimensions, surface roughness, colour) through unaided visual observation, microscopic analyses, and an algorithm developed within the current study. Two-thirds of the isolated particles were smooth and the majority of these belonged to the grey-white colour category, with a low degree of opaqueness and discolouration, and a high degree of transparency, suggesting that these were dominated by low-density polyethylene LMPs. Conflicting evidence concerning the relative residence time of the isolated LMPs within seawater emerged from the colour and contour roughness determination, although an abundance of primary LMPs (production pellets) within our sample might have been responsible for the low contour roughness results obtained. Roughly six times as many particles were recorded within the inshore sampling stations as the particles recorded at the waterline stations. The developed algorithm performed very well when the dimension and colour parameter values it delivered were compared with those obtained by microscopic analyses.

Marine litter is a growing problem for environmental and human health and policies have included monitoring as an important tool to evaluate both trends and the efficiency of reduction measures. The Marine Strategy Framework Directive is the main driver in Europe for the monitoring of the marine environment; it has included the evaluation of marine litter in order to support policies and achieve good environmental status. This assessment depends on the availability of robust, homogeneous data-sets at the European scale. A data management plan for marine litter has been developed at European level within the existing EMODnet network to collect, homogenise and provide access to standardised data-sets and data products that may be used as a basis for marine litter assessment at pan-European scale. As a long term perspective, it also provides a scientific and technical basis for further global monitoring.

Marine litter presents a global problem, with increasing quantities documented in recent decades. The distribution and abundance of marine litter on the seafloor off the United Kingdom's (UK) coasts were quantified during 39 independent scientific surveys conducted between 1992 and 2017. Widespread distribution of litter items, especially plastics, were found on the seabed of the North Sea, English Channel, Celtic Sea and Irish Sea. High variation in abundance of litter items, ranging from 0 to 1835 pieces km−2 of seafloor, was observed. Plastic tems such as bags, bottles and fishing related debris were commonly observed across all areas. Over the entire 25-year period (1992–2017), 63% of the 2461 trawls contained at least one plastic litter item. There was no significant temporal trend in the percentage of trawls containing any or total plastic litter items across the long-term datasets. Statistically significant trends, however, were observed in specific plastic litter categories only. These trends were all positive except for a negative trend in plastic bags in the Greater North Sea - suggesting that behavioural and legislative changes could reduce the problem of marine litter within decades.

We examined the ingestion of meso- and macro-plastics by teleost fish and elasmobrachs with benthic- demersal dwelling habits, analysing the occurrence of this litter type on the diet of 39 of these species over the North-western Iberian Shelf Sea between 1999 and 2016. Plastic consumption seems to be incidental, occurring only in 7 of the 39 species examined, and in a very low proportion (< 0.3% of individuals in all cases). The highest rates were found among benthic feeding elasmobranchs, including Leucoraja naevus, Scyliorhinus canicula and Galeus spp., the two latter being opportunistic scavengers. While our study rules out a high occurrence of meso- and macro- plastics in benthic fauna, the presence of micro-plastics in the diet of these species is still a major concern, as the deep sea is possibly a natural sink for these litter particles.

Marine litter is a serious global environmental threat that has received increasing attention in the last decades from the academic world, intergovernmental organizations and agencies due to its impact on ecosystems, fisheries and, ultimately, human health. The Mediterranean Sea is characterized by one of the highest densities of marine litter in the world: although much research has been conducted on floating litter, little data exist on benthic litter and its associated macrozoobenthic fauna and only one study has investigated the matter in Italian waters. In the present work, marine litter was collected through demersal trawl nets in the coastal sector of Civitavecchia (northern Tyrrhenian sea, GSA 9) at 50–120 m of depth with the aim of (i) describing the marine litter-associated macrozoobenthic community, (ii) identifying the associations between macrozoobenthic species and litter categories and (iii) evaluating the presence of unrecorded and/or non-indigenous species (NIS) associated with marine litter. Marine litter was recovered from all hauls, confirming its ubiquity and global dispersion in coastal areas, with plastic materials being the most frequently retrieved category. The highest and lowest litter items density were 2125 and 312.50 items/km2. A total of 656 litter items weighing 15.8 kg were classified according to the MSFD Technical Group on Marine Litter categories and analyzed. Their associated fauna consisted of 1536 benthic organisms belonging to 62 species. Species abundance-wise, Bryozoans were the dominant taxon followed by Polychaeta, Bivalvia, Ascidiacea and Anthozoa. Six non-indigenous species (NIS) were retrieved on anthropogenic substrates and, among them, two bryozoans species previously unreported in Italian waters were herein recorded. At last, our results highlight the possible selective association between some sessile species and specific marine litter categories, even though further validation is needed.

Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, the use of disposable face masks has been adopted worldwide as a precautionary measure to slow down the transmission of the virus. This has determined an unprecedented rise in the production of these protective equipments, and unfortunately to a new form of environmental contamination due to the improper disposal. To provide a preliminary estimation of the release of microfibers by a surgical mask dumped in the marine environment, we carried out artificial weathering experiments. Results indicated that a single surgical mask submitted to 180 hours UV-light irradiation and vigorous stirring in artificial seawater may release up to 173,000 fibers/ day. Moreover, SEM and micro-FTIR analysis carried out onto surgical masks collected from Italian beaches highlighted the same morphological and chemical degradation signature observed in the masks subjected to the artificially weathering experiments, confirming the risks of a similar microfiber release into the marine environment.

Due to the ecotoxicological effects, microplastics are considered a threat for the marine environment. Recent reports indicate their presence not only in subsurface water and in coastal beach sediments, but also in the deep-sea. Notwithstanding, there is still not a scientific consensus about the analytical procedure to be applied for their determination. In this work we compared the performance of two extraction methods: pressurized solvent extraction (PSE) and density separation. Sea sand and seafloor sediments were spiked with known amounts of polystyrene (PS), polyethylene (PE) and polypropylene (PP) microplastics and submitted to both the extraction procedures. Results showed that the PSE ensured higher recoveries for the smaller size particle fractions (89,2±1.1% in the 50-150μm range) whereas the density separation enabled precise recoveries for the larger size particles (SD=1,5%). No significant differences in terms of blanks control were highlighted.

We report the discovery of a dead Magellanic penguin (Spheniscus magellanicus) found on Juquehy Beach (23°46′S 45°44′W), municipality of São Sebastião, Brazil, on September 9th 2020. Following necropsy, we noted the presence of an adult size PFF-2 protective mask within the stomach of the penguin which we inferred as the cause of death. As far as we are aware, this is the first recorded instance of marine animal mortality by protective face mask ingestion. Whilst concerns have been raised relating microplastic contamination in marine environments from Covid-19 related waste, there has been relatively less attention paid to the potential risk of macro-scale contaminants, such as protective face coverings. We suggest that Covid-19 related macro contaminants be considered in coastal marine risk assessments and urge further research on this topic.

This paper reports baseline levels of litter (macro, meso and microplastics) in sediments collected from different areas of the Croatian MPA of the Natural Park of Telaščica bay (Adriatic Sea, GSA n. 17). The distribution of total abundance according to size, for all analysed locations evidences that microplastics are the dominant fraction concerning item's numbers. In all analysed samples no macroplastics were found, while microplastics are 88.71% and mesoplastics are 11.29% of the total.

Litter washed ashore on the coastline, also called beach litter, constitutes one of the most obvious signs of marine litter pollution. Surveys of beach litter represent a fundamental tool for monitoring pollution in the marine environment and have been used world-wide to classify and quantify marine litter. Identifying the sources of marine and beach litter is, together with education, the prime weapon in combating this type of pollution. This work investigates the impact of three main potential land sources on litter occurrence: urban areas, rivers and beach users. Three sources were analyzed simultaneously on a broad scale (Lazio region, central Italy) using a random sampling design and fitting a generalized linear mixed-effect model. The results show that urban areas are the main drivers for the occurrence of marine litter along central Italy's coastal ecosystems, suggesting that the presence of such litter on Lazio beaches could be effectively reduced by identifying failings in recycling and waste collection procedures and by improving waste processing systems and sewage treatment in urban areas.

Seafloor litter has been studied both on the continental shelves (by trawling during 24 years) and in canyons (by ROV) of the French Mediterranean sea Water (FMW). On the continental shelf, mean densities range from 49.63 to 289.01 items/km2. The most abundant categories were plastic, glass/ceramics, metals and textiles. Trend analysis shows a significant increase in plastic quantities during the study period. Plastics accumulate at all depths, with heavier items being found in deeper areas, while the continental slope-break appears as a clean area. The spatial distribution of litter revealed the influence of geomorphologic factors, anthropic activities, shipping route, river inputs. All the canyons are affected by debris but coastal canyons (Ligurian Sea and Corsica) were more impacted than offshore canyons in the Gulf of Lion. The FMW appears to be highly polluted with regard to values found in other areas, but lower than those observed in the Eastern Mediterranean.

Mismanaged waste is accumulating at an alarming rate in the marine environment. Its presence has caused local authorities in the Balearic Islands to develop a coastal sea-cleaning boat service covering the region, identifying the floating marine debris, and removing it from the coastal areas. This study considered daily monitoring from May to October spanning from 2005 to 2015. Plastic marine debris composed over 54% of all floating marine debris removed daily across the Balearic Islands. The spatio-temporal patterns indicate a heterogeneous distribution of plastic in the coastal areas, with higher concentrations in the north-western and south-eastern regions of the islands and debris peaking during the month of August. Furthermore, floating marine debris was more easily collected during calm seas as well as using an integrated monitoring approach to facilitate its removal. Overall, sea-cleaning boats are highly effective in removing coastal floating marine debris.

In this study, the acute toxicity of microplastics (MPs) on unicellular organisms as marine decomposers and microalgae was assessed, by evaluating standards endpoints included in International Standard Organization (ISO) protocols. The bacteria Vibrio fischeri and the diatom Phaeodactylum tricornutum were exposed to different sizes (1–500 μm) of polyethylene MPs in order to evaluate bioluminescence inhibition and microalgal growth. No acute toxicity was found on bacteria or microalgae in an order of magnitude above environmentally relevant concentrations, suggesting that tested MPs did not affect the investigated biological processes. In conclusion, standard ecotoxicological endpoints are not sufficiently sensitive to assess the potential effects of MPs on decomposers and primary producers, conversely to nanoplastics. These findings highlight that the current approach for MP risk assessment in unicellular species should be revised, by providing alternative endpoints to be included in standardized protocols, able to monitor the fate and biological effects of MPs., Sí

Floating marine debris is distributed worldwide through the oceans and poses a serious threat to marine ecosystems. Field data and model results show high concentrations of floating debris in the Bay of Biscay. In this work, the Regional Ocean Modelling System (ROMS), in conjunction with a particle-tracking model, has been used to study the distribution of floating debris in the northern Iberian waters. Longer residence times were observed in the south-eastern Bay of Biscay, where the concentration of floating debris would be, on average, 2.1 times higher than in the north-western Iberian coastal waters, and 3.6 times higher when considering only the winter months. The analysis also suggests the existence of a seasonal influx of floating debris into the south-eastern Bay of Biscay, which would be greater during the winter. Both results - long residence time and influx of floating debris - support the hypothesis that the Bay of Biscay can be regarded as an accumulation zone of floating debris., Sí

The pollution of beach litter was seasonally evaluated in a selected beach in the West Mediterranean Region of Turkey between December 2019 and September 2020. Beach litter survey was carried out seasonally according to 'Guidance on Monitoring of Marine Litter in European Seas' published by European Marine Strategy Framework Directive Technical Subgroup on Marine Litter. During the study, a total of 2.324 items and 105.44 kg were collected. The average litter density was 581.0 +/- 60.04 items/m(2) and 26.36 +/- 0.85 g/m(2). The results indicated that the most common type of litter were plastic/polystyrene (35%), unidentifiable (18%) followed by cloth/textile (16%). Litter density showed significant seasonal differences with the highest in summer (P < 0.05). Homa beach was classified as "dirty" according to Clean Coast Index. It was observed that the litter in the region averagely consisted of mixed packaging litter (24.25%), fisheries related litter (19%) and unclassified litter (15.25%) items. Our results show that the coast of Homa Lagoon exposed to a significant amount of marine litter pollution originated from land-based sources. This study provides further evidence that there is a significant litter pollution in the West Mediterranean Sea of Turkey and that the main component are plastics, which pose a great treat to the Mediterranean Sea environments.

Microplastics are well-documented pollutants in the marine environment that result from fragmentation of larger plastic items. Due to their long chemical chains, they can remain in the environment for long periods of time. It is estimated that the vast majority (80%) of marine litter derives from land sources and that 70% will sink and remain at the bottom of the ocean. Microplastics that result from fragmentation of larger pieces of plastic are common to be found in beaches and in the water surface. The most common microplastics are pellets, fragments and fibres. This work provides original data of the presence of microplastics in coastal sediments from Southern Portuguese shelf waters, reporting on microplastic concentration and polymer types. Microplastic particles were found in nearly 56% of sediment samples, accounting a total of 31 particles in 27 samples. The vast majority were microfibers (25), identified as rayon fibres, and fragments (6) identified as polypropylene, through infrared spectroscopy (m-FTIR). The concentration and polymer type data is consistent with other relevant studies and reports worldwide, Xunta de Galicia, SI

7 pages, 6 figures, Nowadays, there are an increasing number of reports of deep-sea accumulation of marine debris, often associated with a wide array of pernicious effects on benthic fauna. Nevertheless, there is still a huge knowledge gap regarding the interaction of benthic organisms and marine debris. In this paper, we report for the first time the colonization of plastic debris by the protected sponges Lycopodina hypogea. The sponges were discovered growing on plastic debris tangled with nylon ropes on the Blanes canyon (northwestern Mediterranean Sea). Over 30 individuals of L. hypogea were identified attached on ca. 10 cm2 plastic debris, an unusual feature for a species mostly known for low-density populations and a patchy distribution. The implications of this discovery are discussed, and it is suggested that marine debris might provide substrate for benthic species on otherwise unsuitable habitats, with its possible role as stepping-stones for deep-sea benthic connectivity needing further study, This work received funding from the Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation (ABRIC Project, Ref. RTI2018-096434-B-I00), With the funding support of the ‘Severo Ochoa Centre of Excellence’ accreditation (CEX2019-000928-S), of the Spanish Research Agency (AEI)

The 3D dispersion of marine litter (ML) over the Mediterranean basin has been simulated using the velocity fields from a high resolution circulation model as base to run a 3D Lagrangian model. Three simulations have been performed to mimic the evolution of ML with density lower, similar, or higher than seawater. In all cases a realistic distribution of ML sources was used. Our results show that the accumulation/dispersion areas of the floating and buoyancy neutral particles are practically the same, although the latter are distributed in the water column, 80% of them found in the photic layer (average depth of 35m). Regarding to the densest particles, they rapidly sink and reach the seafloor close to their source. The regions of higher temporal variability mostly coincide with the ML accumulation regions. Weak seasonal variability occurs at a sub-basin scale as a result of the particles redistribution induced by the seasonal variability of the current field., Acknowledgements to the EU-Interreg MPAs Plastic Busters Project: preserving biodiversity from plastics in Mediterranean Marine Protected Areas, co-financed by the European Regional Development Fund. M. Compa is the recipient of an FPI Fellowship from Conselleria d'Innovació, Recerca I Turisme of the regional Government of the Balearic Islands co-financed by the European Social Fund as part of the FSE 2014–2020 operational program.

To study the interaction of mercury (Hg) with plastics in coastal marine environments, a total of 353 plastic items were collected from 4 beaches located on the Spanish Mediterranean coast, with different characteristics. Concentrations ranged from 5 to 8216 nmol kg⁻¹ and were greater on beaches more influenced by the mining activity. A preference of Hg for polymers such as polyurethane (PUR) and poly(vinyl chloride) (PVC), and for certain colours such as black, red and brown was observed. The state of degradation proved crucial, as Hg levels increased with the aging of the plastic. Although new commercial plastic items already contain Hg associated with their manufacturing process, they are able to adsorb even more once in the marine environment, by being in contact with larger quantities of this element in the ocean microlayer and acting as vectors of this element to the beaches. Once there, plastics are transported by winds and tides to the middle and high part of the beach, where the sunlight results in the volatilization of Hg to the atmosphere, decreasing the levels of this element in plastics., Sí

The Mediterranean Sea is one of the areas in the world most affected by marine litter. The main aim of this paper is to reflect on the key outcomes of the special session entitled ‘Harmful effects of plastic litter and mitigation strategies in the Mediterranean Sea’, which was organized within the framework of the SETAC Europe 28th Annual Meeting. The event highlighted the harmful effects of plastic pollution in the Mediterranean and brought forward multi-stakeholder and multi-level efforts to tackle it effectively. This commentary provides an overview of: a) the harmful effects of plastic litter on Mediterranean biodiversity and a three-fold assessment approach to detect impacts with the use of bioindicator species; b) the monitoring and mitigation strategies implemented within the frameworks of the EU Marine Strategy Framework Directive and the Barcelona Convention Regional Plan for Marine Litter Management in the Mediterranean; c) the essential role of NGOs in strengthening the science-policy-society interface to address marine litter and in making effective connections between scientific knowledge and societal actions; d) the role of industry in addressing marine litter with a special focus on the potential application of biodegradable plastics in the aquaculture and the fisheries sector, and e) the barriers but also the enabling conditions needed to address the issue effectively. This paper also underlines one of the main challenges of our era: the gap between science, policy and society and how this could be closed towards achieving effective decision-making and comprehensive actions against marine litter.

Microplastics are ubiquitous environmental contaminants leading to inevitable human exposure. Even so, little is known about the effects of microplastics in human health. Thus, in this work we review the evidence for potential negative effects of microplastics in the human body, focusing on pathways of exposure and toxicity. Exposure may occur by ingestion, inhalation and dermal contact due to the presence of microplastics in products, foodstuff and air. In all biological systems, microplastic exposure may cause particle toxicity, with oxidative stress, inflammatory lesions and increased uptake or translocation. The inability of the immune system to remove synthetic particles may lead to chronic inflammation and increase risk of neoplasia. Furthermore, microplastics may release their constituents, adsorbed contaminants and pathogenic organisms. Nonetheless, knowledge on microplastic toxicity is still limited and largely influenced by exposure concentration, particle properties, adsorbed contaminants, tissues involved and individual susceptibility, requiring further research. published

The occurrence of marine litter in the Black Sea region is poorly known and even less data have been reported on the abundance of floating debris. Here we present results from a ship-based visual survey carried out in the North-Western part of the Black Sea, providing the first preliminary data on the characteristics of floating debris in Romanian waters. High litter densities peaking to 135.9 items/km2 were found in the study area (mean 30.9 ± 7.4 items/km2). Probably due to the proximity of the Danube delta, natural debris were on average, much more abundant than anthropogenic litter in most surveyed locations (mean 141.4 ± 47.1 items/km2, max 1131.3 items/km2). Most of the 225 objects we sighted consisted of pieces of wood and other riparian debris (75.5%), however plastic items remained undoubtedly the most abundant type of litter, representing 89.1% of all sighted man-made items. The Black Sea is not exempt from the global invasion of floating debris, however data are still lacking and a basin-wide survey is urgently needed to identify accumulation areas and develop regionally effective solutions to the problem of marine litter.

This study focuses, for the first time, on the presence of plastic debris in the stomach contents of large pelagic fish (Xiphias gladius, Thunnus thynnus and Thunnus alalunga) caught in the Mediterranean Sea between 2012 and 2013. Results highlighted the ingestion of plastics in the 18.2% of samples. The plastics ingested were microplastics (5mm), mesoplastics (5-25mm) and macroplastics (25mm). These preliminary results represent an important initial phase in exploring two main ecotoxicological aspects: (a) the assessment of the presence and impact of plastic debris on these large pelagic fish, and (b) the potential effects related to the transfer of contaminants on human health.

The present study analyzes spatial distribution and typology of marine litter on the seabed in the FAO Geographical Sub-Area 17 (northern and central Adriatic Sea). Two surveys were conducted during fall 2011 and 2012 and 67 stations were sampled each year. Litter items were collected using the "rapido" trawl, a modified beam trawl commonly used by the Italian fishermen to catch flat fish and other benthic species. Marine litter in the catches was sorted and classified in 6 major categories (plastic, metal, glass, rubber, wood, other). Plastic litter was further subdivided in 3 sub- categories based on its source: fishing nets, aquaculture nets and other. Plastic was dominant in terms of weight followed by metal and other categories. The highest concentration of litter was found close to the coast likely as a consequence of high coastal urbanization, river inflow and extensive navigation associated with the morphological and hydrological features of the basin. (C) 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.