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Abstract Since the mass production of plastics began in the middle of the last century, plastic waste and its accumulation in the marine environment is an issue of major current concern, with significant environmental and economic impact. These materials continue to accumulate in the environment, mainly in rivers and oceans, in the form of macro to nanoplastics. Over the past decade, increased scientific interest has produced an expanding knowledge base for microplastics. However, analysis of the plastic-associated microbial community (the plastisphere) in the intertidal zone is rare. The aim of the research presented here was to investigate the concentration of microplastic in the benthic sediment of Vitória Bay estuarine system (SVB), SE Brazil. The microplastic concentrations in the Vitória Bay bottom sediments ranged from 0 to 38 particles per sample, with a total of 247 particles. Synthetic fibers from fishing nets accounted for 77% of the microplastic observed in the studied area. The scanning electron micrographs revealed that, while bacteria were the main colonizers of the SVB microplastic particles, fungal filaments and spores were also apparent. Highlights • First report of microplastics distribution in Vitoria Bay estuarine system sediment. • 77% of microplastic pollution derived from fishing net fiber. • Benthic plastisphere mainly bacteria, with some fungal filaments and spores. • The risks associated with microplastics pollution are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Endocrine Disrupting Chemicals (EDCs) encompass a wide variety of substances capable of interfering with the endocrine system, including but not limited to bisphenol A, organochlorines, polybrominated flame retardants, alkylphenols and phthalates. These compounds are widely produced and used in everyday modern life and have increasingly been detected in aquatic matrices worldwide. In this context, this study aimed to carry out a literature review to assess the evolution of EDCs detected in different matrices in the last thirty years. A bibliometric analysis was conducted at the Scopus, Web of Science, and Google Scholar databases. Data were evaluated using the Vosviewer 1.6.17 software. A total of 3951 articles in English were retrieved following filtering. The results demonstrate a gradual and significant growth in the number of published documents, strongly associated with the increasing knowledge on the real environmental impacts of these compounds. Studied were mostly conducted by developed countries in the first two decades, 1993 to 2012, but in the last decade (2013 to 2022), an exponential leap in the number of publications by countries such as China and an advance in research by developing countries, such as Brazil, was verified. • A bibliometric analysis on endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs) was performed. • Studied were mostly conducted by developed countries from 1993 to 2022. • Increased publications by developing countries took place from 2013 to 2022. • Much attention has been paid to EDCs transmission through trophic levels. • Many studies discuss factors affecting EDC ecosystem uptake. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Plastic debris is widely recognized as an important marine environmental pollutant. Plastics pollution of coastal areas is a growing concern, with research efforts focusing on macroplastic (>5 mm) and microplastic fractions. Currently, a large proportion of the plastics found in the ocean are in the form of microplastics (<5 mm). Due to their buoyant and persistent properties, microplastics have the potential to be widely dispersed via hydrodynamic processes and ocean currents. Guanabara Bay has been identified as one of the most polluted environments on the Brazilian coastline, mainly due to the presence of heavy metals and hydrocarbons. The aim of this work was to investigate, using field surveys, the abundance, composition and distribution of microplastics and small plastic fragments on the beaches of Guanabara Bay, located in southeastern Brazil. Microplastic concentrations ranged from 12 to 1300 particles per m 2 on the beaches. Fibres, fragments, styrofoam and pellets accounted for 8766 particles, with microplastic fragments representing 56% of the total detected debris, followed by styrofoam fragments (26.7%), pellets (9.9%) and fibres (7.2%). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The marine environment is constantly being impacted by anthropogenic activities. Nowadays, microplastics (MPs) representing one of the most deleterious material among of all substances and material from anthropogenic origin. The Microplastics (MPs) are particles smaller than 5 mm. This study presents information on abundance, distribution, type and colour of microplastics in the bottom sediments of the continental Shelf of Rio de Janeiro State. This area is strongly impacted due to its location in front of one of the most polluted coastal bays in the Brazilian Coastline. It receives untreated sewage from an Ipanema Beach submarine emissary and also a great amount of sediments dredged from Rio de Janeiro Harbour, which strongly influences the distribution of MPs in the area. The analyses detected the presence of MP in 100% of the samples, composed mainly by secondary microplastics, and almost 50% were fibers, followed by plastic films, plastic fragments and pellets. Based on the nature of the sources of the MP, a great variety of colours was shown, dominated by four main colours: blue, white, transparent, and black, this pattern could potentially increase their bioavailability due to resemblance to prey items, especially to visual raptorial species. • Microplastic pollution in Rio de Janeiro Continental Shelf • Concentrations and distribution of microplastic in the bottom sediment of Rio de Janeiro Continental Shelf • Type and colour of microplastic in the bottom sediment of Rio de Janeiro Continental Shelf • The impact of dumping sites in the concentrations of microplastic in the bottom sediment of Rio de Janeiro Continental Shelf [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]