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Εκτίμηση και μέτρα αντιμετώπισης της ρύπανσης από πλαστικά και μικροπλαστικά στο παράκτιο περιβάλλον της Βόρειας Κρήτης

Karkanorachaki Aikaterini

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Summary

Huge amounts of debris, most of which consists of plastics, end up annually in the environment, in the form of large plastic objects, such as fishing gear, or microplastics (fragments, microbeads or pellets). Sources of plastics inputs can be found both on land (settlements, rivers, landfills) and at sea, thus adversely impacting both the ecosystems polluted and the health and aesthetics of humans.Sampling campaigns took place at four beaches of northern Crete (Falasarna, Stavros, Petres, Analoukas) from December 2014 to March 2015. Samples of plastics, comprising of plastic fragments and pellets, where removed by sieving in a systematic way. Spatial and temporal distribution patterns of the plastics were analyzed and compared to those previously detected by the same team in the summer of 2014. Mean densities and weights were calculated for each group of plastic pellets (white, old white, off-white, orange, brown, colored) and fragments (0-4mm, 4-15mm, 15-50mm, >50mm), as well as the percentages of tar coverage for each category. The same procedures were applied to both the surface layer and the substrate (up to 10cm) of each beach, to fully understand the emerging patterns. Water column samples were collected from the two most polluted beaches (Falasarna and Analoukas) and the microplastics densities were calculated and studied, as well as the interactions with the nearby coastal environments.Data collection concerning the inputs and outputs of plastics in the Aegean Sea allowed the understanding of the mass balance in the area. The cooperation of organizations, professionals and various clubs was vital in this process, which led to the proposal of specific and targeted mitigation measures, aiming to the alleviation of the problem.

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