Microplastic Beaching and Sediment Grain Size at Pletera Beach, Spain

Teresa Serra's dataset supports a study on microplastic accumulation on sandy beaches, focusing on Pletera Beach in northeastern Spain. The data includes measurements of fibre and fragment abundances, which accounted for 95.88% and 84.40% of total MPs in two sampling campaigns, and links them to sediment grain size and proximity to anthropogenic sources. The study found localized MP abundances exceeding 6,000 MPs/kg, corresponding to a Level 1 Higher Pollution Load Index.

Use Cases

• Modeling the relationship between sediment grain size and microplastic retention based on the described infiltration capacity.
• Analyzing spatial patterns of microplastic pollution based on proximity to tourism and port activities mentioned in the study.
• Comparing the depositional behavior of microfibers versus microfragments based on the 7.6-fold abundance difference noted for medium-grained sands.
• Assessing pollution load using the Pollution Load Index (PLI) values referenced for different beach stations.

Strengths

• Includes specific abundance percentages for dominant MP particles (95.88% fibres, 84.40% fragments).
• Reports a concrete, high pollution level with localized abundances exceeding 6,000 MPs/kg.
• Links findings to specific geographic features (Ter River, northern urban area) and anthropogenic sources.

Limitations

• Row count is unknown, which may limit suitability assessment.
• Column-level documentation is absent; field semantics must be inferred after download.
• The 86.3 KB file size suggests a very limited data scope.

Provenance

Source

Teresa Serra via figshare.

Collection Method

Two sampling campaigns at Pletera Beach, a protected site in northeastern Spain.

Freshness

Last updated 2026-03-18 11:58:14; freshness should be verified.

Geography

Pletera Beach, western Mediterranean coast of Spain.