Microplastics and attached microorganisms in sediments of the Vitoria bay estuarine system in SE Brazil

Since the mass production of plastics began in the middle of the last century, plastic waste and its accumulation in the marine environment is an issue of major current concern, with significant environmental and economic impact. These materials continue to accumulate in the environment, mainly in rivers and oceans, in the form of macro to nanoplastics. Over the past decade, increased scientific interest has produced an expanding knowledge base for microplastics. However, analysis of the plastic-associated microbial community (the plastisphere) in the intertidal zone is rare. The aim of the research presented here was to investigate the concentration of micro plastic in the benthic sediment of Vitoria Bay estuarine system (SVB), SE Brazil. The microplastic concentrations in the Vitoria Bay bottom sediments ranged from 0 to 38 particles per sample, with a total of 247 particles. Synthetic fibers from fishing nets accounted for 77% of the microplastic observed in the studied area. The scanning electron micrographs revealed that, while bacteria were the main colonizers of the SVB microplastic particles, fungal filaments and spores were also apparent.