Microplastic pollution — tiny plastic particles measuring less than five millimeters — is now recognised as one of the greatest environmental threats to the oceans. However, there is still little information about its distribution and characteristics on Atlantic Ocean beaches. To address this lack of knowledge, a team of researchers collected 33 sediment samples at Praia da Barra, an area heavily influenced by both tourism and maritime traffic, two of the main sources of this type of pollution.
The results of the study, Authored by Khawla Chouchene, João Pinto da Costa and Teresa Rocha-Santos, researchers at CESAM/DQ; Armando Duarte, member of CESAM; and Joana Prata, show that Praia da Barra contains significant quantities of microplastics, with a median concentration of 100 particles per kilogram of sediment, which can reach values between 15 and 320 particles per kilogram.
Almost all the particles found (99.5 per cent) were smaller than 1 millimeter, making them virtually invisible to the naked eye. Transparent or black particles predominated, and the highest concentrations were recorded near the water’s edge, an area where waves are more likely to deposit this type of waste.
According to the researchers, these results highlight the urgent need to systematically monitor microplastic pollution on Portuguese beaches, particularly in heavily frequented coastal areas. The presence of these particles poses a risk to marine organisms, which may ingest them, and potentially also to human health, via the food chain.
The UAveiro study, carried out in collaboration with the University of Sfax in Tunisia, also highlights the importance of strengthening prevention measures, waste management and environmental awareness, in order to reduce the entry of plastics into the marine environment and protect coastal ecosystems.
Original article published by UA Notícias on 5 June 2026