Survey on the presence of floating microplastics, trace metals and metalloids in seawater from Southern Italy to the United States of America
The presence of microplastics (MPs), trace metals (TM) and metalloids (Ms) in surface seawater is a severe emerging issue of global concern. Information about the distribution of these pollutants is often lacking, and large-scale studies come with uncertainties because of difficult comparisons of re...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Elsevier
2025-01-01
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| Series: | Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety |
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| Online Access: | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0147651324015835 |
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| author | Elisabetta Morici Gaetano Cammilleri Sergio Scirè Francesco Paolo Bonomo Luigi Tranchina Francesca Terracina Paola Galluzzo Vincenzo Ferrantelli Vincenzo Paolo Monteverde Francesco Giuseppe Galluzzo Sergio Davì Mariano Licciardi Salvatore Dara |
| author_facet | Elisabetta Morici Gaetano Cammilleri Sergio Scirè Francesco Paolo Bonomo Luigi Tranchina Francesca Terracina Paola Galluzzo Vincenzo Ferrantelli Vincenzo Paolo Monteverde Francesco Giuseppe Galluzzo Sergio Davì Mariano Licciardi Salvatore Dara |
| author_sort | Elisabetta Morici |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | The presence of microplastics (MPs), trace metals (TM) and metalloids (Ms) in surface seawater is a severe emerging issue of global concern. Information about the distribution of these pollutants is often lacking, and large-scale studies come with uncertainties because of difficult comparisons of results obtained using different methods to collect and process data. This study presents a comprehensive investigation of microplastics (MPs), trace metals (TM) and metalloids (Ms) in surface seawater during two transatlantic sampling campaigns, covering approximately 17,000 nautical miles. The results reveal the presence of MPs in all the samples analyzed and a broad variation in microplastic concentration (230–3320 MPs/L), with filaments or fibers being the most abundant shape. Coastal waters generally exhibit higher MPs, TM and Ms concentrations than open sea waters. The results showed high concentrations of MPs, particularly in the waters near the Faroe Islands, in the Sea of Magdalena department and in the Strait of Gibraltar. The order of the overall metals and metalloids concentrations was: As>Cr>Pb>Cd. High concentrations of Pb and Cr were recorded in the Mediterranean waters whereas high Arsenic (As) were found in the Southern coasts of United States, with values that exceeded the limits considered hazardous for aquatic life (81.55–101.12 µg/L). No significant correlations were found between microplastics, and the heavy metals examined. Here, we emphasize the need for sustainable environmental management actions and policies in a global context to monitoring the growing problem of pollutants in our oceans. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-83639553a4ab4c0391916cc587b5be7f |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 0147-6513 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-01-01 |
| publisher | Elsevier |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety |
| spelling | doaj-art-83639553a4ab4c0391916cc587b5be7f2025-02-12T05:29:24ZengElsevierEcotoxicology and Environmental Safety0147-65132025-01-01290117507Survey on the presence of floating microplastics, trace metals and metalloids in seawater from Southern Italy to the United States of AmericaElisabetta Morici0Gaetano Cammilleri1Sergio Scirè2Francesco Paolo Bonomo3Luigi Tranchina4Francesca Terracina5Paola Galluzzo6Vincenzo Ferrantelli7Vincenzo Paolo Monteverde8Francesco Giuseppe Galluzzo9Sergio Davì10Mariano Licciardi11Salvatore Dara12Advanced Technologies Network Center (ATeN Center), University of Palermo - Viale Delle Scienze, Edificio 18, Palermo 90128, ItalyIstituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale della Sicilia “A. Mirri”, Via Gino Marinuzzi 3, Palermo 90100, Italy; Corresponding author.Dipartimento di Scienze e Tecnologie Biologiche Chimiche e Farmaceutiche (STEBICEF), Università degli Studi di Palermo, Palermo 90123, ItalyAdvanced Technologies Network Center (ATeN Center), University of Palermo - Viale Delle Scienze, Edificio 18, Palermo 90128, ItalyAdvanced Technologies Network Center (ATeN Center), University of Palermo - Viale Delle Scienze, Edificio 18, Palermo 90128, ItalyDipartimento di Scienze e Tecnologie Biologiche Chimiche e Farmaceutiche (STEBICEF), Università degli Studi di Palermo, Palermo 90123, ItalyIstituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale della Sicilia “A. Mirri”, Via Gino Marinuzzi 3, Palermo 90100, ItalyIstituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale della Sicilia “A. Mirri”, Via Gino Marinuzzi 3, Palermo 90100, ItalyIstituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale della Sicilia “A. Mirri”, Via Gino Marinuzzi 3, Palermo 90100, ItalyIstituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale della Sicilia “A. Mirri”, Via Gino Marinuzzi 3, Palermo 90100, ItalyCiuri Ciuri Mare, Via Domenico Scinà 15, Palermo 90139, ItalyDipartimento di Scienze e Tecnologie Biologiche Chimiche e Farmaceutiche (STEBICEF), Università degli Studi di Palermo, Palermo 90123, ItalyIstituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale della Sicilia “A. Mirri”, Via Gino Marinuzzi 3, Palermo 90100, ItalyThe presence of microplastics (MPs), trace metals (TM) and metalloids (Ms) in surface seawater is a severe emerging issue of global concern. Information about the distribution of these pollutants is often lacking, and large-scale studies come with uncertainties because of difficult comparisons of results obtained using different methods to collect and process data. This study presents a comprehensive investigation of microplastics (MPs), trace metals (TM) and metalloids (Ms) in surface seawater during two transatlantic sampling campaigns, covering approximately 17,000 nautical miles. The results reveal the presence of MPs in all the samples analyzed and a broad variation in microplastic concentration (230–3320 MPs/L), with filaments or fibers being the most abundant shape. Coastal waters generally exhibit higher MPs, TM and Ms concentrations than open sea waters. The results showed high concentrations of MPs, particularly in the waters near the Faroe Islands, in the Sea of Magdalena department and in the Strait of Gibraltar. The order of the overall metals and metalloids concentrations was: As>Cr>Pb>Cd. High concentrations of Pb and Cr were recorded in the Mediterranean waters whereas high Arsenic (As) were found in the Southern coasts of United States, with values that exceeded the limits considered hazardous for aquatic life (81.55–101.12 µg/L). No significant correlations were found between microplastics, and the heavy metals examined. Here, we emphasize the need for sustainable environmental management actions and policies in a global context to monitoring the growing problem of pollutants in our oceans.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0147651324015835MicroplasticsTrace metalsMetalloidsAtlantic OceanMediterranean SeaICP-MS |
| spellingShingle | Elisabetta Morici Gaetano Cammilleri Sergio Scirè Francesco Paolo Bonomo Luigi Tranchina Francesca Terracina Paola Galluzzo Vincenzo Ferrantelli Vincenzo Paolo Monteverde Francesco Giuseppe Galluzzo Sergio Davì Mariano Licciardi Salvatore Dara Survey on the presence of floating microplastics, trace metals and metalloids in seawater from Southern Italy to the United States of America Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety Microplastics Trace metals Metalloids Atlantic Ocean Mediterranean Sea ICP-MS |
| title | Survey on the presence of floating microplastics, trace metals and metalloids in seawater from Southern Italy to the United States of America |
| title_full | Survey on the presence of floating microplastics, trace metals and metalloids in seawater from Southern Italy to the United States of America |
| title_fullStr | Survey on the presence of floating microplastics, trace metals and metalloids in seawater from Southern Italy to the United States of America |
| title_full_unstemmed | Survey on the presence of floating microplastics, trace metals and metalloids in seawater from Southern Italy to the United States of America |
| title_short | Survey on the presence of floating microplastics, trace metals and metalloids in seawater from Southern Italy to the United States of America |
| title_sort | survey on the presence of floating microplastics trace metals and metalloids in seawater from southern italy to the united states of america |
| topic | Microplastics Trace metals Metalloids Atlantic Ocean Mediterranean Sea ICP-MS |
| url | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0147651324015835 |
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