A first inventory of plastic litter and some associated total metal contents at the coastline of the Bay of Asunción (Paraguay).

Plastic litter, predominantly polypropylene (42%) and polyethylene (31%), constitutes 60-82% of debris along the Bay of Asunción coastline, with significant metal contamination.

• Why it matters: Understanding plastic pollution and associated metal pollutants in South America is crucial for environmental health and pollution management, yet data are scarce in this region.
• What they did: Four sampling sites were surveyed during a drought period, with plastics classified by size, use, and polymer type, and metal contents quantified using microwave digestion and atomic absorption spectrometry.
• The result: Plastics dominated the litter, with high concentrations of Fe and Mn, and multivariate analysis linked Fe and Mn to PS, while Cd was associated with PP, highlighting potential pollution pathways.