Toward a Harmonized Approach for Monitoring of Riverine Floating Macro Litter Inputs to the Marine Environment

Author: Daniel González-Fernández and Georg Hanke
Year of Publication: 2017
Published: Frontiers in Marine Science 4(86): 1-7

Abstract:
A high percentage of the litter entering the marine environment is assumed to come from land-based sources, but freshwater litter inputs have not been quantified. The lack of data and knowledge on fluxes of riverine litter to the sea, i.e., quantities and sources, hinders implementation of appropriate environmental regulations and mitigation measures. Estimations of riverine litter inputs require a consistent and harmonized approach to gather comparable data. The visual observation of floating litter on rivers has been selected as a simple and robust methodology for litter monitoring. A collaborative network of 36 institutions has been set-up for large spatial coverage. Currently 58 rivers are being observed regularly. A tablet computer application has been developed for the monitoring of floating macro litter (>2.5 cm) to harmonize the visual observations. The application allows recording of the observed items, their size and geo-position data during monitoring sessions. A common agreed list of litter items and size ranges is used, providing a common harmonized approach for data collection and reporting.

Keywords:
Litter, Plastics, Floating debris, Environmental monitoring, Pollution, Marine litter, Riverine input

Citation:
González-Fernández, D., and Hanke, G., 2017. Toward a Harmonized Approach for Monitoring of Riverine Floating Macro Litter Inputs to the Marine Environment. Frontiers in Marine Science 4(86): 1-7. doi.org/10.3389/fmars.2017.00086.

Link:
https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fmars.2017.00086/full

‘Down to the river’: amount, composition, and economic sector of litter entering the marine compartment, through the Tiber river in the Western Mediterranean Sea

Author: Roberto Crosti, Antonella Arcangeli, Ilaria Campana, Miriam Paraboschi and Daniel González-Fernández
Year of Publication: 2018
Published: Rendiconti Lincei. Scienze Fisiche e Naturali 29: 859-866

Abstract:
Land-based activities are, undoubtedly, the main source of marine litter, particularly in a highly populated closed sea basin, such as the Mediterranean Sea. Rivers, consequently, act as a pathway of mismanaged waste to the sea. While quantification of inputs is a difficult task, the assessment of abundance, composition trends and baselines, and the identification of sources and main sectors producing marine litter are of crucial importance to support the ability of policy makers to improve waste reduction measures. For this reason, the Joint Research Centre (JRC/RIMMEL) coordinated a network of several research bodies that monitored floating litter (> 2.5 cm) from fixed observation points located on rivers near the sea using the same systematic research protocol. In Italy, one of the surveyed rivers was the Tiber, the third longest river on the peninsula, which after running through the city of Rome divides into two branches before flowing into the Tyrrhenian Sea. Results of 1 year of monitoring, September 2016–August 2017, highlight that 82% of the floating items were plastic and belong to the food and cosmetic sector, and it was estimated that 85.4% (± 9.4) of litter items get into the sea each hour from the Tiber river canal in Fiumicino, of which approximately 30% were already fragmented.

Keywords:
Marine litter, Mediterranean Sea, Monitoring protocol, Riverine litter, Tibet river

Citation:
Crosti, R., Arcangeli, A., Campana, I., Paraboschi, M., González-Fernández, D., 2018. ‘Down to the river’: amount, composition, and economic sector of litter entering the marine compartment, through the Tiber river in the Western Mediterranean Sea. Rendiconti Lincei. Scienze Fisiche e Naturali 29: 859. doi.org/10.1007/s12210-018-0747-y.

Link:
https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007%2Fs12210-018-0747-y

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

High level of micro-plastic pollution in the Iskenderun Bay NE Levantine coast of Turkey

Author: Sedat Gündoğdu
Year of Publication: 2017
Published: Ege Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences 34(4): 401 – 408

Abstract:
Microplastic pollution is a global problem. The Mediterranean Sea, especially, has high pressure of pollution as it is enclosed by highly populated and industrialized countries. In this study, we have determined the level of microplastic pollution in the Iskenderun Bay, located in the Northeastern Levantine coast of Turkey. The average level of microplastic has been determined to be 1,067,120 particles/km² at fourteen stations. The highest level has been determined at the M4 station in the middle of the bay (with 1820 items; 2,888,889 particles/km²), and the lowest level has been found at the M11 station (62 items; 98,412 particles/km²). As a result of this study, it was determined that the microplastic pollution level in the Iskenderun Bay is higher than the other regions of the Mediterranean Sea.

Keywords:
Microplastic, Marine litter, Levantine Sea, Iskenderun Bay

Citation:
Gündoğdu , S., 2017. High level of micro-plastic pollution in the Iskenderun Bay NE Levantine coast of Turkey. Ege Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences 34(4): 401 – 408.

Link:
http://www.egejfas.org/issue/29803/329228

Micro- and mesoplastics in Northeast Levantine coast of Turkey: the preliminary results from surface samples

Author: Sedat Gündoğdu and Cem Çevik
Year of Publication: 2017
Published: Marine Pollution Bulletin 118(1-2): 341-347

Abstract:
The determination of the microplastic distribution will be beneficial as a measure of the potential effects on the environment. The Mediterranean Sea had a high risk of pollution as it was enclosed by highly populated and industrialized countries. Here, we determined the level of micro- and mesoplastic pollution in Iskenderun and Mersin Bays, located in the Northeastern Levantine coast of Turkey. The average level of both micro- and mesoplastic was determined to be 0.376 item/m2 at seven stations. The highest level was determined in Mersin Bay at the mouth of the Seyhan river (Station no. 7, with 906 items), and the lowest level was found in Station no. 4 in Iskenderun Bay (78 items). As a result of this study, it was determined that the microplastic pollution level in the Mediterranean coast of Turkey was similar to the other regions of the Mediterranean Sea.

Keywords:
Microplastic, Mesoplastic, Marine Litter, Levantine Sea, Mersin Bay, Iskenderun Bay

Citation:
Gündoğdu, S., Çevik, C., 2017. Micro-and mesoplastics in Northeast Levantine coast of Turkey: the preliminary results from surface samples. Marine Pollution Bulletin 118(1-2): 341-347.

Link:
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0025326X17302084