Assessment of microplastics particles (0.3–5 mm) in sandy beaches of Cuba

Abstract

Microplastics (MPs) are considered one of the main pollution issues on the planet. This study constitutes the initial assessment of MPs on sandy beaches in Cuba. Four beaches with different characteristics and anthropogenic activities were selected on the north and south coasts of the island's central region. MPs (0.3–5 mm) were identified at three out of four beaches studied, with 0–196 MPs m² (0–47 MPs kg⁻¹). The MPs found on the south coast, Tetas de Tomasa Beach in Cienfuegos Bay, exhibited the highest average abundance, 95 ± 61 MPs m², followed by Rancho Luna with 3 ± 4 MPs m². On the north coast, Las Gaviotas Beach showed an average abundance of 2 ± 4 MPs m², and no MPs were found at Cañón Beach. Fragments were the main morphology (55 %), while the most prevalent colors were white/transparent (65.2 %) and blue (19.4 %). Polyethylene was the predominant synthetic polymer (52 %), followed by polypropylene (32 %) and polystyrene (14 %).