Variations in microplastic abundance, sizes, and characteristics in Kizilirmak Delta

Abstract

Microplastic pollution has become an inevasible problem for all ecosystems. Many studies have investigated their potential sources in different systems. Yet, efficient actions require further knowledge, including the pathways between connected systems, such as rivers and lagoons. Therefore, sediment samples collected from Kizilirmak River, 5 connected lagoons, and the seabed were examined. The river had the highest microplastic abundance, and the seabed the lowest. Microplastic abundance between sampled lagoons was similar. Similarly, average microplastic sizes showed no difference between sampled sites. The higher microplastic abundance observed in river sediments suggests that the Kızılırmak River may represent an important potential source or transport pathway of microplastics to the delta system. Yet Findings of this study are an important insight for the current literature by contributing the knowledge required for potential action plans.

Keywords

• Black Sea
• Human disturbance
• Kizilirmak River
• Lagoon
• Sediment

Supporting Institution

Ordu University

Project Number

101124670

Ethical Statement

No ethics committee permission is required for this study.

Thanks

This research was supported by the EUROPEAN CLIMATE, INFRASTRUCTURE AND ENVIRONMENT EXECUTIVE AGENCY (CINEA) Project: 101124670 — Black Sea SIERRA — EMFAF-2023-PIA- FLAGSHIP.

Kızılırmak Deltası’nda mikroplastik yoğunluk, büyüklük ve özellik farklılıkları

Abstract

Mikroplastik kirliliği, tüm ekosistemler için kaçınılmaz bir sorun haline gelmiştir. Birçok çalışma, farklı sistemlerdeki potansiyel mikroplastik kaynaklarını araştırmıştır. Bununla birlikte, etkili önlemler, nehirler ve lagünler de dahil olmak üzere bağlantılı sistemler arasındaki geçiş yolları da dahil olmak üzere daha fazla bilgi gerektirmektedir. Bu nedenle, Kızılırmak Nehri'nden, bağlantılı 5 lagünden ve deniz tabanından toplanan sediment örnekleri incelenmiştir. Nehirde en yüksek, deniz tabanında ise en düşük mikroplastik yoğunluğu tespit edilmiştir. Örneklenen lagünler arasındaki mikroplastik yoğunluğu benzerdir. Benzer şekilde, ortalama mikroplastik boyutlarında örneklenen bölgeler arasında bir fark bulunmamıştır. Nehir örneklerinde gözlemlenen yüksek mikroplastik bolluğu, Kızılırmak Nehri'nin delta sistemine mikroplastik taşınmasında önemli bir potansiyel kaynak veya taşıma yolu teşkil edebileceğini göstermektedir. Bu çalışmanın bulguları, potansiyel eylem planları için gerekli bilgileri sağlayarak mevcut literatür için önemli bir katkı sunmaktadır.

Keywords

• Deniz tabanı
• İnsan etkileri
• Karadeniz
• Kızılırmak
• Lagün

Supporting Institution

Ordu Üniversitesi

Project Number

101124670

Ethical Statement

Bu çalışma için etik komite izni gerekli değil.

Thanks

Bu çalışma, EUROPEAN CLIMATE, INFRASTRUCTURE AND ENVIRONMENT EXECUTIVE AGENCY (CINEA) Project: 101124670 — Black Sea SIERRA — EMFAF-2023-PIA- FLAGSHIP tarafından desteklenmiştir.

References

1. An, X., Wang, Y., Adnan, M., Li, W., Zhang, Y. (2024). Natural Factors of Microplastics Distribution and Migration in Water: A Review. Water, 16(11): 1595. doi: 10.3390/w16111595.
2. Corcoran, P.L., Biesinger, M.C., Grifi, M. (2009). Plastics and beaches: a degrading relationship. Marine Pollution Bulletin, 58: 80–84. doi: 10.1016/j. marpolbul.2008.08.022.
3. Çullu, F.A., Sönmez, V.Z., Sivri, N. (2021). Microplastic contamination in surface waters of the Küçükçekmece Lagoon, Marmara Sea (Turkey): Sources and areal distribution. Environmental Pollution, 268: 115801. doi: 10.1016/j.envpol.2020.115801.
4. Esmer, Y., Kaya, T., Sivri, N., (2026). The Potential Impact of Macro/Mesoplastic Pollution on Beach Recreation: Determining Economic Value Losses with Comparative Models. Turkish Journal of Maritime and Marine Sciences, 12(2): 125-140. doi: 10.52998/trjmms.1815516.
5. Falco, F.D., Pace, E.D., Cocca, M., Avella, M. (2019). The contribution of washing processes of synthetic clothes to microplastic pollution. Scientific Reports, 9: 6633. doi: 10.1038/s41598-019-43023-x.
6. Gaylarde, C.C., Baptista Neto, J.A., da Fonseca, E.M. (2021). Nanoplastics in aquatic systems -are they more hazardous than microplastics? Environmental Pollution, 272, 115950. doi: 10.1016/j.envpol.2020.115950.
7. Gündoğdu, S., Çevik, C., Terzi, Y., Gedik, K., Büyükdeveci, F., Öztürk, R.Ç. (2025). Microplastics in Turkish coastal lagoons: Unveiling the hidden threat to wetland ecosystems. Environmental Pollution, 375: 126351. doi: 10.1016/j.envpol.2025.126351.
8. Gül, M.R. (2023). Short-term tourism alters abundance, size, and composition of microplastics on sandy beaches. Environmental Pollution, 316: 120561. doi: 10.1016/j.envpol.2022.120561.

9. Gül, M.R. (2024). Factors Influencing the three-dimensional distribution of microplastics on sandy beaches: a case study from the Turkish Coast of the Black Sea. Turkish Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences, 24 (SI), TRJFAS26559. doi: 10.4194/TRJFAS26559.
10. Gül, M.R. (2026). Artificial shore protection structures influence the level of microplastic pollution on sandy beaches. Regional Studies in Marine Sciences, 96: 104948. doi: 10.1016/j.rsma.2026.104948.
11. Hernandez, E., Nowack, B., Mitrano, D.M. (2017). Polyester Textiles as a Source of Microplastics from Households: A Mechanistic Study to Understand Microfiber Release During Washing. Environmental Science and Technology, 51(12): 7036- 7046. doi: 10.1021/acs.est.7b01750.
12. Hidalgo-Ruz, V., Gutow, L., Thompson, R.C., Thiel, M. (2012). Microplastics in the marine environment: a review of the methods used for identification and quantification. Environmental Science and Technology, 46: 3060–3075. doi: 10.1021/es2031505.
13. İşlek, Ş., Bostan, Z., Güney, E., Sönmez, V.Z. (2023). Kıyı Lagün Sedimentlerinde Mikroplastiklerin Oluşumları ve Mekansal Dağılımları: Küçükçekmece Lagünü Örneği. Commagene Journal of Biology, 1–11. doi: 10.31594/commagene.1223041.
14. Jessieleena, A., Rathinavelu, S., Velmaiel, K.E., John, A.A., Nambi, I.M. (2023). Residential houses — a major point source of microplastic pollution: insights on the various sources, their transport, transformation, and toxicity behaviour. Environmental Science and Pollution Research, 30: 67919–67940. doi: 10.1007/s11356-023-26918-1.
15. Jin, Z., Ren, Y., Tao, W., Chen, Z., Xu, G. (2024). Study on the release of microplastic particles with different particle sizes in sediments caused by wave-induced liquefaction. Science of the Total Environment, 911, 168788. doi: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.168788.
16. Li, W., Meng, F. (2025). Microplastics in marine systems: A review of sources and sinks, typical environmental behaviors, and biological effects. Marine Pollution Bulletin, 214: 117758. doi: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2025.117758.
17. Li, C., Shi, Y., Luo, D., Kang, M., Li, Y., Huang, Y., Bai, X. (2023). Interventions of river network structures on urban aquatic microplastic footprint from a connectivity perspective. Water Research, 243: 120418. doi: 10.1016/j.watres.2023.120418.
18. Massarelli, C., Campanale, C., Uricchio, V.F. (2023). Monitoring of Coastal Dunes and Lagoons: Important Ecosystems to Safeguard. Environments, 10(12): 211. doi: 10.3390/environments10120211.
19. McCormick, A., Hoellein, T.J., Mason, S.A., Schluep, J., Kelly, J.J. (2014). Microplastic is an abundant and distinct microbial habitat in an urban river. Environmental Science and Technology, 48, 11863–11871. doi: 10.1021/es503610r.
20. Miao, L., Li, W., Adyel, T.M., Yao, Y., Deng, Y., Wu, J., Zhou, Y., Yu, Y., Hou, J. (2023). Spatio-temporal succession of microbial communities in plastisphere and their potentials for plastic degradation in freshwater ecosystems. Water Research, 229: 119406. doi: 10.1016/j.watres.2022.119406.
21. Newton, A., Brito, A.C., Icely, J.D., Derolez, V., Clara, I., Angus, S……Maannan, M. (2018). Assessing, quantifying and valuing the ecosystem services of coastal lagoons. Journal for Nature Conservation, 44: 50- 65. doi: 10.1016/j.jnc.2018.02.009.
22. Niu, L., Wang, Y., Li, Y., Chen, Y., Shen, J. (2023). Occurrence, Degradation Pathways, and Potential Synergistic. Current Pollution Reports, 9: 312- 326. doi: 10.1007/s40726-023-00262-x.
23. Núñez, P., Romano, A., García-Alba, J., Besio, G., Medina, R. (2023). Wave-induced cross- shore distribution of different densities, shapes, and sizes of plastic debris in coastal environments: A laboratory experiment. Marine Pollution Bulletin, 187: 114561. doi: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2022.114561.
24. Pérez-Ruzafa, A., Marcos, C., Pérez, I.M., Pérez-Marcos, M. (2011). Coastal lagoons: “transitional ecosystems” between transitional and coastal waters. Journal of Coastal Conservation, 15: 369- 392. doi: 10.1007/s11852-010-0095-2.
25. Pérez-Ruzafa, A., Marcos, C. (2012). Fisheries in coastal lagoons: An assumed but poorly researched aspect of the ecology and functioning of coastal lagoons. Estuarine, Coastal and Shelf Science, 110: 15- 31. doi: 10.1016/j.ecss.2012.05.025.
26. Pérez-Ruzafa, A., Molina-Cuberos, G.J., García-Oliva, M., Umgiesser, G., Marcos, C. (2024). Why coastal lagoons are so productive? Physical bases of fishing productivity in coastal lagoons. Science of the Total Environment, 922: 171264. doi: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2024.171264.
27. PlasticsEurope (2024). Plastics - the Facts 2021: an Analysis of European Plastics Production, Demand and Waste Data.
28. Terzi, Y., Öztürk, R.Ç., Eryaşar, A.R., Yandi, İ., Şahin, A., Yılmaz, F., Gedik, K., Gündoğdu, S. (2025a). Riverine microplastic discharge along the southern Black Sea coast of Türkiye. Environmental Research Letters, 20: 024061. doi: 10.1088/1748-9326/adaf47.
29. Terzi, Y., Gündoğdu, S., Yandi, İ., Altinpinar, İ., Öztürk, R.Ç., Gedik, K. (2025b). Marine litter on the Turkish Black Sea shoreline: Abundance, composition, and sources. Waste Management, 205: 115027. doi: 10.1016/j.wasman.2025.115027.
30. Toha, M., Rahman, R.R., Alam, M. (2025). Microplastics in waste management systems: an invisible threat to environmental and public health. Bioresource Technology Reports, 30: 102141. doi: 10.1016/j.biteb.2025.102141.
31. Wang, C., Zhao, J., Xing, B. (2021). Environmental source, fate, and toxicity of microplastics. Journal of Hazardous Materials, 407: 124357. doi: 10.1016/j.jhazmat.2020.124357.
32. Wang, J., Bucci, K., Helm, P.A., Hoellein, T., Hoffman, M.J., Rooney, R., Rochman, C.M. (2022). Runoff and discharge pathways of microplastics into freshwater ecosystems: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Facets, 7: 1473- 1492. doi:10.1139/facets-2022-0140.
33. Xian, H., Zhang, J., Xu, W., Li, Y., Yang, H., Wang, Y., Bennion, H., Jeppesen, E., Dong, X. (2025). Coastal lagoons as a transitional zone between land and sea: Insight from trace element pollution in southern China. Water Research, 286: 124192. doi: 10.1016/j.watres.2025.124192.
34. Xiong, X., Xie, S., Feng, K., Wang, Q. (2022). Occurrence of microplastics in a pond-river-lake connection water system: How does the aquaculture process affect microplastics in natural water bodies. Journal of Cleaner Production, 352:131632. doi: 10.1016/j.jclepro.2022.131632.
35. Zhang, H. (2017). Transport of microplastics in coastal seas. Estuarine, Coastal and Shelf Science, 199: 74- 86. doi: 10.1016/j.ecss.2017.09.032.