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Microplastic resin pellets on an urban tropical beach in Colombia

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Abstract

Microplastics are a problem in oceans worldwide. The current situation in Latin America is not well known. This paper reports, for the first time, the presence of microplastics on an urban Caribbean beach in Cartagena, Colombia. Pellet samples were collected from a tourist beach over a 5-month period covering both dry and rainy seasons. Pellets were classified by color and their surface analyzed by stereomicroscopy, and some were characterized by infrared spectroscopy. The most abundant pellets were white, presenting virgin surfaces, with few signs of oxidation. This is congruent with a short residence time in the marine environment and primary sources possibly located nearby. The frequency of white pellets did not change with sampling period. Surface features identified in the pellets included cracks, material loss, erosion, adhesion, granulation, color change, and glazed surfaces. Reticulated granular pellets exhibited the greatest degradation, easily generating submicroplastics. Sample composition was mostly polyethylene, followed by polypropylene. This pollution problem must be addressed by responsible authorities to avoid pellet deposition in oceans and on beaches around the world.

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Acknowledgments

The authors thank the Vice Presidency for Research at the University of Cartagena for financial support through the Program to Support Research Groups (2013–2015). Chemical analysis performed by Professor Jairo Mercado is highly appreciated.

Conflict of interest

The authors declare that there are no conflicts of interest.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Environmental and Computational Chemistry Group, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Cartagena, Zaragocilla Campus, Cartagena, 130014, Colombia

    Isabel Acosta-Coley & Jesus Olivero-Verbel

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  1. Isabel Acosta-Coley
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  2. Jesus Olivero-Verbel
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Correspondence to Jesus Olivero-Verbel.

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Highlights

• The presence of primary microplastics was assessed on a tropical beach.

• White translucent beached pellets were predominant.

• The color pattern deposition did not change with seasons.

• Degraded pellets presented cracks, material loss, adhesion, and granulation.

• White-yellowish weathered pellets exhibited the highest degree of degradation.

• Most pellets were made of polyethylene followed by polypropylene.

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Acosta-Coley, I., Olivero-Verbel, J. Microplastic resin pellets on an urban tropical beach in Colombia. Environ Monit Assess 187, 435 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10661-015-4602-7

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10661-015-4602-7

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