Pineda de Vila-seca is Catalonia’s most microplastic-contaminated beach

A new study by the research group Technatox from the University Rovira i Virgili (URV) has revealed that the beach in the southern Catalan town of Pineda de Vila-seca contains the highest concentration of microplastics.

Techatox analyzed fifty beaches along 580 kilometers of the Catalan coastline, from Cap de Creus in the north to Vinaròs in the northern part of Spain’s Valencian region.

At La Pineda beach, researchers found 2,000 pieces of microplastic per kilogram of sand, twice as many as the second most contaminated beach, located in the Fangar Bay, part of the southern Ebre Delta.

60% of residue from textile fibers

Most of the microplastics found at Pineda de Vila-seca were plastic pellets, often originating from the petrochemical industry. More alarmingly, over 60% of the detected microplastics came from textile fibers, primarily polyester. These fibers pass through washing machine filters before eventually reaching the sea through wastewater.

According to Joaquim Rovira, researcher at the Department of Basic Medical Sciences at URV, plastic pellets “should disperse into the sea, but the positioning of the underwater outfalls between the Port of Tarragona and Cape Salou prevents it from doing so.”

Southern Catalan beaches affected

A significant concentration of microplastics was also found at the Fangar Bay at the mouth of the Ebre Delta. There, researchers found 1,100 pieces per kilogram of sand, while the beaches Miracle and Arrabassada on the Tarragona coast recorded over 700 and 600 microplastics per kilogram, respectively. Vallcarca beach, located between Castelldefels and Sitges, followed behind.

“We attribute this to the microplastics that reach the sea through the Llobregat River and are transported southward by ocean currents,” says Rovira.

Barcelona coastline surprise

In contrast, the findings from Barcelona’s beaches took the researchers by surprise.

“What surprised us the most has been seeing that the beaches of Barcelona, the most populated city in Catalonia, have less concentrations of microplastics than other more southern coasts between Castelldefels and Vilanova i la Geltrú and a big part of the Tarragona coast,” explains Rovira.

Least contamination on Costa Brava

Beaches on the northern Catalan Costa Brava had the lowest levels of microplastic pollution, according to the study.

“We attribute this to the coarser sand, which doesn’t retain as many microplastics as beaches with finer sand,” said Nora Expósito, a researcher at the Department of Chemical Engineering, who also took part in the study.

First comprehensive study

This study is the first comprehensive study of microplastic pollution along the Catalan coastline.

In total, 70 locations were analyzed, with researchers collecting samples from the intertidal zone, the area of wet sand between the highest wave reach and the current waterline.

They analyzed the chemical composition and size of the microplastics, with the larger ones measuring up to 5 millimeters and primarily composed of polyethylene and polypropylene, often originating from degraded plastic bottles or industrial pellets.

The smaller particles measured less than 0.5 millimeters and were primarily textile fibers such as polyester and polyamide, commonly released when washing clothes.

All in all, the researchers were not surprised by the findings, given the large amount of plastic produced and its low biodegradability.

“We have found microplastics inland, in marine waters, wastewater, drinking water, soil and sediments, in mollusks, and even in human feces,” added researchers Ester Marí and Jordi Serra from the University of Barcelona, who also participated in the study.