Compositions and distributions of microplastic in Korean beaches

Abstract

The Ccomposition and distribution of microplastics in six beaches along Korean coast and six beaches of Geoje Island which affected by riverine discharge from nearby Nakdong River were determined in April -and May, 2013 and in May, 2012 respectively. OIn the beaches, ten quadrats (0.5 m x 0.5 m) were randomly placed along the high-stranded line and 1L sand passed through a 1 mm sieve was collected. In the laboratory, 50 mLl sand from each 1L sample of ten quadrats was sub-sampled to make a composite sample (500 ml) representing each beach. The microplastics were separated with sediment using saturated NaCl solution. Supernatant was filtered through a 0.2 μm filter paper and plastic like particles on the filter papers were identified with a FT-IR microscope. The abundance of microplastics from twelve beaches was in the range of 32-9,280 particle/L-sediment. The mean abundance of microplastics from six beaches of Geoje (2,689 particles/L-sediment) was 17 times higher than those in the others beaches (157 particles/L-sediment). The beaches in the East coast of Geoje Island were severely contaminated by microplastics. Among the five categories of microplastics (fragment, fiber, spherule, sheet and expanded polystyrene (EPS)), fragment type accounted for the highest portion (69-100%) in the 9 beaches, while in Gangneung, the highest portion was fiber (50%) and in Guyoung and Wahyun was EPS (63% and 90%). In composition,pectively. OIn the beaches, ten quadrats (0.5 m x 0.5 m) were randomly placed along the high-stranded line and 1L sand passed through a 1 mm sieve was collected. In the laboratory, 50 mLl sand from each 1L sample of ten quadrats was sub-sampled to make a composite sample (500 ml) representing each beach. The microplastics were separated with sediment using saturated NaCl solution. Supernatant was filtered through a 0.2 μm filter paper and plastic like particles on the filter papers were identified with a FT-IR microscope. The abundance of microplastics from twelve beaches was in the range of 32-9,280 particle/L-sediment. The mean abundance of microplastics from six beaches of Geoje (2,689 particles/L-sediment) was 17 times higher than those in the others beaches (157 particles/L-sediment). The beaches in the East coast of Geoje Island were severely contaminated by microplastics. Among the five categories of microplastics (fragment, fiber, spherule, sheet and expanded polystyrene (EPS)), fragment type accounted for the highest portion (69-100%) in the 9 beaches, while in Gangneung, the highest portion was fiber (50%) and in Guyoung and Wahyun was EPS (63% and 90%). In composition,