Seasonal evaluation of floating microplastics in a shallow Mediterranean coastal lagoon: Abundance, distribution, chemical composition, and influence of environmental factors

Microplastics (MPs) have been accumulating in the marine environment since the 1950s, with the Mediterranean Sea being one of the most affected areas in the world. This work studies the MP pollution in one of the other- wise underrepresented in literature Mediterranean coastal lagoons, over the course of a year. Our findings report an average of 40–50 particles/L per month in the lagoon with a significant MP correlation to environmental pa- rameters (salinity, temperature, pH and wind). The microplastic particles were primarily fibers of nylon and polystyrene, as identified through Raman microscopy. The MP distribution in the lagoon was shown to be affected by the antagonistic effect of fresh and sea water. Finally, by reviewing previous studies, we provide evidence that mesh size and MP abundance are exponentially correlated and discuss the need for a global protocol in MP studies.