Characteristics and fluxes of plastic debris based on socio-economic data for Patos Lagoon—a choked coastal Lagoon in South Brazil

• Published in: Environmental science and pollution research international 2023-05, Vol.30 (21), p.59382-59400
• Main Authors: dos Santos, Ítele E., Fernandes, Elisa H. L., Pinho, Grasiela L. L., Abdallah, Patrízia R.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Aquatic Pollution; Atmospheric Protection/Air Quality Control/Air Pollution; Brazil; Earth and Environmental Science; Economics; Ecotoxicology; Environment; Environmental Chemistry; Environmental Health; Environmental Monitoring; Environmental Pollution; Environmental science; High density polyethylenes; Humans; Kitchen utensils; Lagoons; Low density polyethylenes; Plastic debris; Plastic pollution; Plastics; Pollution; Pollution control; Polyethylene; Polypropylene; Polypropylenes; Polyvinyl chloride; Preforms; Research Article; Resins; Socioeconomic Factors; Socioeconomics; Utensils; Waste Water Technology; Water Management; Water Pollution Control
• ISSN: 1614-7499; 0944-1344; 1614-7499
• DOI: 10.1007/s11356-023-26660-8

Patos Lagoon, located in southern Brazil, is the world’s largest choked coastal lagoon. Studies have revealed that plastic pollution affects lagoons; however, to date, they have only focused on a few limited regions of the lagoon. Top-down quantification methods based on socio-economic data from 2010 to 2017 were used to measure the amount of plastic reaching Patos Lagoon, thus broadening the perspective of plastic pollution in this area. According to the findings, Patos Lagoon's hydrographic regions produced an average of 4.54 Mton of plastic during the studied period. 1.86 Mton was consumed on average. High- and low-density polyethylene (HDPE and LDPE, respectively), polypropylene (PP), and polyvinyl chloride (PVC) were the main resins produced. Food-related activities were the largest consumer of plastic (17.98%), indicating a higher amount of single-use plastics being used in the basin. The preforms for plastic bottles, bags, and packaging were the most commonly manufactured plastic utensils. An estimated 8 to 14% of all plastics used to end up as mismanaged waste in the Patos Lagoon hydrographic basin. This resulted in 1.73 and 10.72 Kton, or 0.5 and 3.2 g/per person/per day, of plastic waste flowing into the waters of Patos Lagoon throughout the study period. These findings can help focus on management efforts by providing managers and policymakers with information for better plastic pollution mitigation in this environment.