How microplastics quantities increase with flood events? An example from Mersin Bay NE Levantine coast of Turkey

Author: Sedat Gündoğdu, Cem Çevik, Berna Ayat, Burak Aydoğan and Serkan Karaca
Year of Publication: 2018
Published: Environmental Pollution 239: 342-350

Abstract:
Floods caused by heavy rain carry significant amounts of pollutants into marine environments. This study evaluates the effect of multiple floods that occurred in the northeastern Mediterranean region in Turkey between December 2016 and January 2017 on the microplastic pollution in the Mersin Bay. Sampling was repeated in four different stations both before and after the flood period, and it was determined that in the four stations, there was an average of 539,189 MPs/km2 before the flood, and 7,699,716 MPs/km² afterwards, representing a 14-fold increase. Fourteen different polymer types were detected in an ATR FT-IR analysis, eight of which were not found in samples collected before the floods. The most common polymer type was identified as polyethylene both pre- and post-flood. The mean particle size, which was 2.37 mm in the pre-flood period, decreased to 1.13 mm in the post-flood period. A hydrodynamic modeling study was implemented to hindcast the current structure and the spatial and temporal distributions of microplastics within the study area. In conclusion, heavy rain and severe floods can dramatically increase the microplastic levels in the sea.

Keywords:
Microplastic, Marine litter, Levantine Sea, Mersin Bay, Rain flood, ATR FT-IR

Citation:
Gündoğdu, S., Çevik, D., Ayat, B., Aydoğan, B., Karaca, S., 2018. How microplastics quantities increase with flood events? An example from Mersin Bay NE Levantine coast of Turkey. Environmental Pollution 239: 342-350.

Link:
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0269749118300939

Fouling assemblage of benthic plastic debris collected from Mersin Bay, NE Levantine coast of Turkey

Author: Sedat Gündoğdu and Cem Çevik
Year of Publication: 2017
Published: Marine Pollution Bulletin 124(1): 147-154

Abstract:
The Mediterranean is an ecosystem that faces more and more microplastic pollution every day. This causes the whole of the Mediterranean to face the negative effects of plastic pollution. This study examines the state of plastic debris and fouling organisms found on it in one of the areas most affected by plastic pollution, Mersin Bay. As a result, a total of 3.88 kg plastic (mean = 0,97 kg; n = 120; 2670 item/km²; 86,3 kg/km²) was collected and based on the ATR-FTIR analysis, it was determined that this total contained 9 types of plastics. 17 different fouling species belonging to 6 phylum (Annelida, Arthropoda, Bryozoa, Chordata, Cnidaria, Mollusca) 7 class and 11 order were discovered on plastics. Spirobranchus triqueter, Hydroides sp. and Neopycnodonte cochlear were the most abundant species. In the end, the example of Mersin Bay shows that plastic debris as a substrate can contain a very high diversity of life just like natural substrates.

Keywords:
Marine plastic debris, Biofouling, ATR FT-IR, Marine pollution, Mersin Bay

Citation:
Gündoğdu, S., Çevik, C., 2017. Fouling assemblage of benthic plastic debris collected from Mersin Bay, NE Levantine coast of Turkey. Marine Pollution Bulletin 124(1): 147-154.

Link:
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0025326X17306045