Microplastics on Beaches in the Nautla-Vega de Alatorre Turtle Nesting Area, Veracruz

Abstract

The low cost of production and the widespread use of plastics has brought about a problem that is difficult to measure; microplastics are considered emerging pollutants because their presence can pose a risk to the environment. This study focuses on the characterization of microplastics (MPs) in the nesting area of green (Chelonia mydas) and Kemp’s ridley (Lepidochelys kempii) sea turtles, on the coastal municipalities of Nautla and Vega de Alatorre, Veracruz, Mexico. Five beaches along 15.5 km of coastline were analyzed and samples were taken in the intertidal zone. In this work, only microplastics in sizes from one to five mm were analyzed. A characterization of the potential sources of microplastics at the basin level was carried out and 94% of the samples analyzed presented MPs, the greatest amount was at site Playa Navarro (B32) (1.2 Item/kg dw), and in the high tide zone (4.86 ± 2.79 Item/kg dw). The predominant color of the MPs was white (42%), the most representative form were fragments (31%), while most of the MPs presented sizes of 4–5 mm (35%) followed by 1–2 mm (34%). The chemical composition of most of the MPs was polyethylene (55%). Regarding the sources of the MPs generation, livestock, agriculture, fishing, tourism, wastewater discharges, urban solid waste and, to a lesser extent, the plastic industry were identified. The mobilization factors of the MPs turned out to be the Colipa and Misantla rivers with runoff from the basin, wind, waves and marine currents.

Keywords

• waste management
• pollution sources
• emerging pollutants