Presencia de microplásticos en cuatro playas arenosas de Per

Abstract

Results of measurement of the microplastic number and weigh from four sandy beaches along Peruvian coast are shown. Microplastic samples were collected during June 2014 to May 2015. Hard plastic fragment > 1 mm was found at over 80% of the four sampling locations. The Costa Azul beach (~ 12°S) presented the 522 items per m2 of microplastic, in which the 463.33 items per m2 and weight 2.6 g per m2 were hard plastic. The Medio Mundo (~ 11°S) beach has the lowest microplastic in number and weight (4.67 items per m2 and 0.50 g per m2). The random microplastic sample from Costal Azul beach was confirmed by FT-IR spectroscopy, we found five fragments with polyurethane (PE), two pieces with polypropylene (PP) and one piece of Styrofoam (EPS). Few studies mention hard plastic with a main component of microplastic, and we suggest new insights into the sources and pathway of microdebris into habitats.