Researchers have analyzed samples collected from the sea surface of the Catalan coast and the Guadalquivir River.
Every year, around 1,200 and 1,400 artificial turf sports fields are installed in the European Union. These fields are made up of synthetic fibers, mainly plastics, that mimic the appearance of natural grass. Recently, the Consolidated Research Group in Marine Geosciences of the Faculty of Earth Sciences at the University of Barcelona conducted a study that, for the first time, characterizes and quantifies the presence of artificial turf fibers in samples collected from surface waters of the Catalan coast and the Guadalquivir River. The findings indicate that artificial turfs can be an important source of pollution in the aquatic environment, accounting for up to 15% of the plastics larger than 5 mm in length that are found floating in the aquatic environment.
"Artificial turf fibers we have found are mainly polyethylene and polypropylene, which match current global production trends of artificial turf and are typically found floating in the aquatic environment. We found them mostly in nearshore areas adjacent to large cities, such as Barcelona ", explains William P. de Haan, UB researcher and first author of the paper.
According to the researchers, the study highlights that "artificial turf fibers are an important source of plastics in the aquatic environment, and it provides a detailed guide to identify them in future studies, in order to better understand their distribution and the specific impacts they may have on the environment".
Read more at University of Barcelona
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