Assessment of microplastic abundance and impact on recreational beaches along the western Algerian coastline

Bentaallah M. E. A., Baghdadi D., GÜNDOĞDU S., Megharbi A., Taibi N., Büyükdeveci F.

Marine Pollution Bulletin, cilt.199, 2024 (SCI-Expanded) identifier identifier

  • Yayın Türü: Makale / Tam Makale
  • Cilt numarası: 199
  • Basım Tarihi: 2024
  • Doi Numarası: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2023.116007
  • Dergi Adı: Marine Pollution Bulletin
  • Derginin Tarandığı İndeksler: Science Citation Index Expanded (SCI-EXPANDED), Scopus, PASCAL, Aerospace Database, Aquatic Science & Fisheries Abstracts (ASFA), Artic & Antarctic Regions, BIOSIS, CAB Abstracts, Chemical Abstracts Core, Chimica, Communication Abstracts, Compendex, Environment Index, Geobase, Metadex, Pollution Abstracts, Veterinary Science Database, Civil Engineering Abstracts
  • Anahtar Kelimeler: Algeria, Beach quality indices, Coefficient of microplastic impact, Microplastic pollution index, Microplastics, Pellets pollution index
  • Çukurova Üniversitesi Adresli: Evet

Özet

Microplastics (MPs) have attracted global attention due to their ubiquity and potential impact on the environment. However, MPs are poorly documented along the Algerian coast. To address this data gap, this study investigated the presence of MPs on three recreational beaches in western Algeria (Stidia, Sablettes and Mersat El Hadjaj). The mean MP abundance for the three beaches was estimated at 55.47 ± 48.01 items/m2. Characterization of MPs shape revealed that fragments (79.81 %) were dominant, followed by pellets (10.58 %), filaments (5.57 %), and foam (3.85 %). An assessment of the Microplastic Pollution Index, the Pellet Pollution Index, and the Coefficient of Microplastic Impact, revealed the presence of very low to moderate levels of MPs on the beaches. This presence was associated with minimal beach pollution and moderate overall impact. The sector analysis approach results confirm that there are two different magnitudes of MPs presence that can negatively impact on the environmental quality of the studied beaches.