Dataset of quantification and classification of microplastics in Mexican sandy beaches
Juan Carlos Alvarez-Zeferino,
Sara Ojeda-Benítez,
Arely Areanely Cruz-Salas,
Carolina Martínez-Salvador,
Alethia Vázquez Morillas
Affiliations
Juan Carlos Alvarez-Zeferino
Universidad Autónoma de Baja California – Instituto de Ingeniería, UABC, Boulevard Benito Juárez y Calle de la Normal S/N, Col. Insurgentes Este, C.P. 21280 Mexicali, Baja California, México
Sara Ojeda-Benítez
Universidad Autónoma de Baja California – Instituto de Ingeniería, UABC, Boulevard Benito Juárez y Calle de la Normal S/N, Col. Insurgentes Este, C.P. 21280 Mexicali, Baja California, México
Arely Areanely Cruz-Salas
Universidad Autónoma Metropolitana - Azcapotzalco, Av. San Pablo, No. 180 Col. Reynosa-Tamaulipas, C.P. 02200 Ciudad de México, México
Carolina Martínez-Salvador
MSc on Water Sciences and Engineering, IHE-UNESCO, Westvest 7, 2611 AX Delft, The Netherlands
Alethia Vázquez Morillas
Universidad Autónoma Metropolitana - Azcapotzalco, Av. San Pablo, No. 180 Col. Reynosa-Tamaulipas, C.P. 02200 Ciudad de México, México; Corresponding author.
The presence of microplastics in marine and coastal environments is an issue of concern for the preservation of these ecosystems. This dataset provides the results of the first national assessment of the presence of microplastics (<5 mm) in Mexican beaches. The research included 35 beaches along the five marine regions of the country. For each beach, ten samples (19 cm diameter, 5 cm depth) were taken along the high-tide line, and then microplastics were extracted by flotation and sieving. All the plastic particles were quantified and classified based on their colour, type of particle, and type of plastic used in their production, using visual inspection and FTIR spectroscopy. The use of the same methodology in all the beaches allowed us to compare and analyze the results, which are reported in the article Microplastics in Mexican beaches.
