Resumen

PATINO MESIAS, María Gabriela; QUINTANA CAGUA, Yenifer; PINCAY CANTOS, María Fernanda  y  CALDERON PINCAY, José Manuel. Evaluation of microplastics present in water and sand on the beaches of Pacoche and Tarqui. RCTU [online]. 2024, vol.11, n.2, pp.68-78. ISSN 1390-7697.  https://doi.org/10.26423/rctu.v11i2.808.

The exponential growth of the world's population has led to an excessive production of plastics, seriously affecting terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems and becoming a significant environmental problem. The objective of this research was to evaluate the presence of microplastics in the water and sand of the Pacoche Coastal Marine Wildlife Refuge (RVSMCP) and the Tarqui beach. The area was georeferenced for delimitation and sand and water samples were collected, quantifying microplastics according to size, type and color. In addition, an analysis of variance (ANOVA) was performed to identify significant differences in the quantity, type and size of microplastics. In Pacoche, no microplastics were detected in the sand; however, 8 fibers of 0.01 millimeters were found in the water. At Tarqui beach, 49 microplastic particles were found, predominantly films. The absence of macroplastics in Tarqui suggests that colligative forces disperse the plastics, while the 8 fibers found in the RVSMCP are due to residues from artisanal fishing allowed in the area.

Palabras clave : Marine pollution; reserves; beach; microplastic; ANOVA.