Microplastic beaches, the results of DeFishGear

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Plastic objects that break, fishing nets that wear out, grains of plastic used in industry (technically known as virgin pellets) that crumble; so we get the formation of microplastics. These particles are smaller than 5 mm and are being studied by a group of researchers from Ca’ Foscari within the European project DeFishGear.

The researchers aim to learn more about this type of pollution and the possible risks for ecosystems (and people), but also to raise awareness of the need to reduce the disposal of waste in coastal and marine environments. The results of the project were presented at Ca’ Foscari in the latest edition of the research night Venetonight.

Professor Giulio Pojana of the Department of Philosophy and Cultural Heritage and researchers Davide Marchetto and Aurelio Latella led some monitoring campaigns for the presence and nature of waste and plastic debris along the Venetian coast, particularly on the Alberoni beach on the island of the Lido and on the surface of the water in front of the mouth of the port of Malamocco.

The researches have been able to identify particles of various plastic materials, mainly composed (in order of size) from Polyethylene (PE), Polypropylene (PP), Polystyrene (PS) and Polyvinylchloride (PVC). Particularly noteworthy was the number of fragments and films of polyethylene and polypropylene found, as well as expanded polystyrene foams.

They found up to 2,350 particles of microplastic per square meter of the beach. In the autumn of 2015, sampling of surface waters at the mouth of Malamocco also detected the presence of a significant amount of floating microplastics: up to 230,000 particles per square kilometer.

Despite the large number of particles found, a comparison of the results obtained from this research with those available on other Mediterranean coastal locations has allowed this area to be classified as an area with a medium-low level of microplastic contamination.