Microplastic (MP) Pollution in Sidi Youssef Harbor of the Kerkennah Islands, Sfax (Tunisia)

Microplastics (MPs) (<5 mm) are emerging pollutants that have attracted widespread environmental concerns about their negative effects on the marine ecosystems. The harbor area of Sidi Youssef in Kerkennah Islands is threatened by the abandoned plastic fishing gears or their leftovers which affect fish stocks and consequently pose a serious threat to the marine environment. In this study, microplastic pollution in surface sediments from 20 stations was investigated. The average abundance of (MPs) was 611 ± 514 items/m². Fibers and fragments were dominant in most sites (94%), followed by granules, foams, and tubes. MPs < 500 μm accounted for more than half of the total MPs while small MPs < 1 mm accounted for 97%. White and transparent MPs were more common with 87.8% than of other colors. Based on the identification by FTIR-ATR, polypropylene (PP) and polyethylene (PE) were the main polymer types found in sediments. These results highlighted the widespread distribution of MPs and will provide our understanding of the environmental risks posed by MPs to marine ecosystems.