Sabatino Giuseppe, De Rosa Giuseppe, D'Alessandro Michela, De Vittor Cinzia, Esposito Valentina, Graziano Marco, Tripodo Alessandro, Volpi Valentina, Di Bella Marcella
Istituto Nazionale Di Oceanografia E Di Geofisica Sperimentale - OGS, Borgo Grotta Gigante, 42/C - 34010, Sgonico, Italy.
Dipartimento Di Scienze Matematiche E Informatiche, Scienze Fisiche E Scienze Della Terra - MIFT, Università Degli Studi Di Messina, Viale Ferdinando Stagno d' Alcontres, 31 - 98158, Messina, Italy.
Environ Sci Pollut Res Int. 2024 Sep 5. doi: 10.1007/s11356-024-34796-4.
The archipelago of the Aeolian Islands in the Tyrrhenian Sea is a globally important natural laboratory. The archipelago, declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site for its unique geology and biodiversity, offers a unique opportunity to study plastic pollution. This study presents an initiative to assess the occurrence of plastic pellets on the beaches of five Aeolian Islands. It provides an insight into the polymer composition and the effects of degradation. Collected pellets were analyzed using stereomicroscopy and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). Hierarchical cluster analysis (HCA) based on the results of the FTIR data has proved to be an effective statistical method in identifying different clusters corresponding to different degradation phases of the collected pellets. The infrared analysis identified polyethylene (80%) as the main polymer, with a small amount of polypropylene (20%). It was found that the surfaces of some pellets undergo changes during weathering that alter the polymer surfaces. By combining data on plastic pellets from the Aeolian Islands and surrounding coastal areas, we are gaining a more comprehensive understanding of the distribution patterns of microplastics. The results of the monitoring and characterization are expected to support the developing of waste management and remediation strategies for this environmentally sensitive region.
第勒尼安海中的伊奥利亚群岛是一个具有全球重要性的自然实验室。该群岛因其独特的地质和生物多样性被联合国教科文组织列为世界遗产，为研究塑料污染提供了独特的机会。本研究提出了一项评估伊奥利亚群岛五个岛屿海滩上塑料颗粒出现情况的倡议。它深入了解了聚合物组成和降解效果。使用体视显微镜和傅里叶变换红外光谱（FTIR）对收集到的颗粒进行了分析。基于FTIR数据结果的层次聚类分析（HCA）已被证明是一种有效的统计方法，可用于识别与收集到的颗粒不同降解阶段相对应的不同聚类。红外分析确定聚乙烯（80%）为主要聚合物，还有少量聚丙烯（20%）。研究发现，一些颗粒的表面在风化过程中会发生变化，从而改变聚合物表面。通过整合来自伊奥利亚群岛和周边沿海地区的塑料颗粒数据，我们对微塑料的分布模式有了更全面的了解。监测和表征结果有望为这个环境敏感地区的废物管理和修复策略的制定提供支持。
