Occurrence of marine plastic litter and plasticizers from touristic beaches of Arauco Gulf in Central Chile

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Authors	RECABARREN Tatiana TORRES Mariett GOMEZ Victoria JACOBSEN Camila VILLABLANCA Mathias AHRENDT Camila MONTES Caroline da Silva GALBAN-MALAGON Cristobal TOMBESI Norma POZO Karla Andrea
Year of publication	2024
Type	Article in Periodical
Magazine / Source	Marine Pollution Bulletin
MU Faculty or unit	Faculty of Science
Citation
Web	https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0025326X24005526?via%3Dihub
Doi	http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.marpolbul.2024.116575
Keywords	Plastic pollution; Phthalates; Polymer composition; Beaches
Description	Marine plastic litter (MPL) was collected from beaches (n = 3) of the Arauco Gulf in central Chile in spring 2021 and summer 2022. MPL was analyzed for physical and chemical characteristics, and plasticizers were also screened using FTIR-ATR. Three hundred seventeen plastic items with an accumulated weight of 226.8 g were found. MPL densities ranged from 0.4 to 17.1 items m(-2). Significant differences (p < 0.05) between seasons were observed for Arauco and Maule beaches, being similar to ten times higher in summer compared to spring. Solid pieces were the predominant shape, macroplastics were the most abundant (>2.5 cm), and white and blue colors were dominant. Polypropylene (52 %) and polyethylene (31 %) were the predominant polymers. Plasticizers (n = 3) were detected in the MPL in the study area (dioctyl phthalate, polybutene, and alpha-methylstyrene) for the first time. This study contributes new information related to MPL in coastal areas of central Chile and their chemical composition.
Related projects:	RECETOX research infrastructure