Spatial distribution patterns and identification of microplastics on intertidal sediments from urban and semi-natural SW Atlantic estuaries

Although estuaries act as a sink of many pollutants, the assessment of microplastics pollution in these transition environments remain scarce or unknown. Sediments from estuarine intertidal areas possess a great ecological concern but also could act as a sink of both buoyant and non-buoyant plastic debris. In this work, we have compared microplastic abundances and their main characteristics (size, shape, colour and polymer type) on intertidal sediments from SW Atlantic Argentinean estuaries (Samborombón, Mar Chiquita, Quequén Grande and Bahía Blanca). The mean microplastics abundance in surface sediments among estuaries was ranged from 0 to 1030 ± 657 items per kg d. w. Upper intertidal areas have shown significant higher microplastic abundances in comparison with lower intertidal zones (p