Composition and spatial distribution of floating plastic debris along the estuarine ecocline of a subtropical coastal lagoon in the Western Atlantic

With the objective of characterizing the composition and spatial distribution of plastic fragments in a subtropical lagoon system, five sample areas affected by various anthropogenic impacts were chosen in the southern part of the Estuarine Lagoon System in Laguna, Santa Catarina, Brazil. The total density of the floating meso- and microplastics encountered was 7.32/m3, with the greatest density in the access channel and external area of the lagoon. Plastic filament was the most abundant and mainly comprised polyester (PET), polypropylene (PP) and polyethylene (PE) from 0.05 to 0.71 mm2. Fishing and urbanization were the main sources of the meso- and microplastics in the environment. This is the first study to evaluate contamination by meso- and microplastics in the southern part of the Estuarine Lagoon System and provides information about the nature and extent of contamination by plastics in this estuarine ecosystem. •Importance of investigating microplastics in transitional aquatic ecosystems•Poor management and educational level increase the marine pollution.•Hydrological and geomorphological processes influenced the transportation of MPs.•The plastic polymers found in the Santo Antônio dos Anjos lagoon were PE, PEsT and PP.