CONICET | Buscador de Institutos y Recursos Humanos

Marine microdebris (MDs, < 5 mm) and mesodebris (MesDs, 5 25 mm), consist of various components, including microplastics (MPs), antifouling or anticorrosive paint particles (APPs), and metallic particles (Mmps), among others. The accumulation of these anthropogenic particles in macroalgae, and their subsequent transfer within the trophic chain, is influenced by their significant role as primary producers within aquatic ecosystems. In this study, we aim to determine and compare the baseline contamination levels of MDs and MesDs in four species of macroalgae (P. morrowii, C. rubrum, Ulva spp., and B. mínima) from the southwestern Atlantic coast of Argentina. Additionally, we analyzed the chemical characteristics of the recovered MDs and MesDs using μ-FTIR and SEM/EDX. The prevalence of MDs was higher in foliose macroalgae, ranging between 0 and 1.22 items/g w.w. for MPs, and 0 and 0.85 items/g w.w. for APPs followed by filamentous ones, with concentrations ranging between 0 and 0.45 items/g w.w. and from 0 to 0.75 items/g w.w. for MPs. It was found that macroalgae accumulate a higher proportion of high-density polymers such as PAN, PA and PES microfibers, as well as paint flakes based on alkyd, PMMA, and PE resins, whereas a predominance of CE was observed in shallow waters. Potentially toxic elements, such as Cr, Ba, Cu, and Ti, were detected in APPs and Mmps, along with the presence of epiplastic communities on surface of paint flakes surface. According to the Polymer Hazard Index (PHI), the presence of polymers with high hazard scores, such as PAN and PA, increased the overall risk of MPs pollution in macroalgae compared to surface waters. This study indicated that macroalgae utilized diverse pathways for loading MDs in the coastal environment, accumulating high density micromaterials with potential toxicological effects due to the presence of heavy metal-based additives.

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