Impact of microplastic contamination derived from human activities on anuran species

IF 6.9 2区环境科学与生态学 Q1 ENGINEERING, CHEMICAL

Process Safety and Environmental Protection Pub Date : 2025-03-10 DOI:10.1016/j.psep.2025.107002

Masoumeh Najibzadeh , Ali Kazemi , Milad Esmaeilbeigi , Habib Ul Hassan

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引用次数: 0

Abstract

Microplastic (MP) pollution poses a significant threat to freshwater ecosystems, yet its impact on amphibians remains poorly understood. This study provides the first assessment of MP contamination in two amphibian species, Pelophylax sp. and Bufotes perrini, from the Hyrcanian forests of northeastern Iran. A total of 136 individuals were examined, revealing that 72 % of samples contained MPs. The dominant MP type was fibers (54 %), with colorless/white particles (58 %) and sizes < 0.5 mm (38 %) being the most prevalent. FTIR spectroscopy identified polyurethanes (43 %) and polystyrene (27 %) as the primary polymers. A significant, albeit weak, positive correlation was found between MP abundance and the residual index (R = 0.1977, p < 0.021), indicating that larger-bodied individuals ingested more MPs. Higher MP loads were observed in individuals from upstream sites, particularly near urban and touristic areas, suggesting human activities as major pollution sources. These findings highlight the urgent need for conservation strategies to mitigate MP contamination in amphibian habitats.

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来源期刊

Process Safety and Environmental Protection 环境科学-工程：化工

CiteScore

11.40

自引率

15.40%

发文量

929

审稿时长

8.0 months

期刊介绍： The Process Safety and Environmental Protection (PSEP) journal is a leading international publication that focuses on the publication of high-quality, original research papers in the field of engineering, specifically those related to the safety of industrial processes and environmental protection. The journal encourages submissions that present new developments in safety and environmental aspects, particularly those that show how research findings can be applied in process engineering design and practice. PSEP is particularly interested in research that brings fresh perspectives to established engineering principles, identifies unsolved problems, or suggests directions for future research. The journal also values contributions that push the boundaries of traditional engineering and welcomes multidisciplinary papers. PSEP's articles are abstracted and indexed by a range of databases and services, which helps to ensure that the journal's research is accessible and recognized in the academic and professional communities. These databases include ANTE, Chemical Abstracts, Chemical Hazards in Industry, Current Contents, Elsevier Engineering Information database, Pascal Francis, Web of Science, Scopus, Engineering Information Database EnCompass LIT (Elsevier), and INSPEC. This wide coverage facilitates the dissemination of the journal's content to a global audience interested in process safety and environmental engineering.