Conference on Environmental Science and Technology

Plastic pollution is nowadays a ubiquitous problem in most coastal areas in the world, as the macroplastics initially released act as precursors for the eventual formation of micro- and nano-plastics with a series of adverse effects on the food chain and on human health. As the determination of the final products (i.e. micro- and nano-plastics) necessitates tedious, time-consuming, expensive, non environmentally-friendly (solvents, reagents) analytical methods, the current work focused mainly on the initial macroplastics identification and characterization. In particular, the development of alternative early identification/estimation methods/tools for plastic pollution was considered, by use of representative parameters-indicators fast and easy to determine, within the framework of circular economy and environmental protection. After a relevant overview and research on alternative methodologies and tools to identify/estimate plastic pollution potential, selected representative parameters, were tested in samples from the coastal areas and streams of Mytilene. The results provided an initial picture of plastic pollution for the area of interest. Moreover, a plastic pollution identification tool was proposed and assessed by GIS spatial analysis and mapping.