Abundance and oceanic source of microplastics: pellets as a model on the middle coast of Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil

, Correa Marina Zimmer, Panizzon Jenifer, Heinzelmann Larissa Schemes.

Coastal regions can be affected by plastic litter even far from urban centers as a result of sources as wind, waves and tides. Since the pellets is one of microplastics widely observed on coastal sand surfaces, and considering it as a consequence of industrial spillage, our research aimed to evaluate the oceanic contribution to plastic particle pollution at coastal areas distant from cities and industrial plants. Pellets collecting were conducted in the 30 km middle coastline of Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil. Collecting methodology based on UNEP protocols consisted in active visual survey held by two collectors within three 5mX15m surface square plots marked between the dunes base and water line. Samplings were performed along three southern hemisphere seasons (spring of 2019, summer and autumn of 2020) and three different locations inside the total area, 15 km apart from each other. A one-way ANOVA was conducted to compare pellet abundance among the collecting points and among seasonal collect. A total of 342 pellets (0.17 pellets/m²) were collected in three sampling surveys, a unusual small amount to Brazilians coastal areas. The amount of pellets varied between the three points (p

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