Microplastics Occurrence in the European Common Frog (Rana temporaria) from Cottian Alps (Northwest Italy)

Microplastics (MPs) pollution is arousing growing attention, yet knowledge about its occurrence in amphibians is scant to date. With this study, we aimed to determine whether plastic (>5000 μm) and MPs (10–5000 μm) could be detected in adult Rana temporaria from a high-mountain ecosystem (the Cot...

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Detalles Bibliográficos
Autores: Pastorino, Paolo, Prearo, Marino, Blasio, Alessia Di, Barceló, Damià, Anselmi, Serena, Colussi, Silvia, Alberti, Silvia, Tedde, Giovanni, Dondo, Alessandro, Ottino, Michele, Pizzul, Elisabetta, Renzi, Monia
Tipo de recurso: artículo
Estado:Versión publicada
Fecha de publicación:2022
País:España
Institución:Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC)
Repositorio:DIGITAL.CSIC. Repositorio Institucional del CSIC
OAI Identifier:oai:digital.csic.es:10261/262198
Acceso en línea:http://hdl.handle.net/10261/262198
https://api.elsevier.com/content/abstract/scopus_id/85123551738
Access Level:acceso abierto
Palabra clave:Remote ecosystems
Amphibians
Fibers
Micro-FTIR
Polyamide
Polyethylene
Polyethylene terephthalate
Descripción
Sumario:Microplastics (MPs) pollution is arousing growing attention, yet knowledge about its occurrence in amphibians is scant to date. With this study, we aimed to determine whether plastic (>5000 μm) and MPs (10–5000 μm) could be detected in adult Rana temporaria from a high-mountain ecosystem (the Cottian Alps, northwest Italy). To do this, aquatic compartments and the digestive tract of adult R. temporaria were analyzed. Water, sediment, periphyton, aquatic macroinvertebrates, and tadpoles tested negative for plastic and MPs. Microplastics were detected in all the adult frogs (n = 5); all the identified items (one per specimen) were fibers (size range: 550.91–2355.51 µm). A statistically significant positive correlation between the particle length and frog size was recorded. The predominant fiber color was blue. The chemical composition was polyamide (60%), polyethylene (20%), and polyethylene terephthalate (20%). Since both the biotic and the abiotic freshwater compartments (tadpoles included) revealed the absence of MPs, it can be assumed that adult frogs ingest MPs from the surrounding terrestrial environment.