Organic micropollutants in plastic resin pellets from sand beaches of South Korea

Abstract

In order to assess the occurrence and distribution of microplastic debris in the coastal regions of South Korea, beach monitoring survey was conducted at four beaches in September and October, 2011. Among the plastic samples collected in that survey, plastic resin pellet was selected and used for the chemical analysis of persistent organic pollutants (POPs). The FT-IR analysis showed that the primary synthetic polymers collected on the beaches were polypropylene (PP) and polyethylene (PE). According to their polymer type and the degree of weathering, the pellet samples were sorted into four groups: aged PP, fresh PP, aged PE, and fresh PE. The overall concentration (ng/g pellet) of POPs in pellet samples were in the range of 0.06-18.6 (median value: 1.75) for HCB, nd-163 (0.14) for HCHs, nd-116 (0.13) for CHLs, nd-193 (15) for endosulfans, 0.39-6,800 (8.6) for DDTs, 0.3-55.3 (10.3) for PCBs, and 0.25-510 (8.16) for PBDEs. Extremely high concentration of DDT was determined in the aged PE pellets collected from Deokheung and Heungnam beaches. In general, PE accumulated larger amounts of POPs than PP. And aged pellet accumulated more contaminants than the fresh. Among the target compounds, DDTs, PCBs, and endosulfans showed the highest concentration, followed by PBDEs and HCB. Hexachlorocyclohexanes and chlordans were detected with a low concentration. The profile of POPs detected in the pelln that survey, plastic resin pellet was selected and used for the chemical analysis of persistent organic pollutants (POPs). The FT-IR analysis showed that the primary synthetic polymers collected on the beaches were polypropylene (PP) and polyethylene (PE). According to their polymer type and the degree of weathering, the pellet samples were sorted into four groups: aged PP, fresh PP, aged PE, and fresh PE. The overall concentration (ng/g pellet) of POPs in pellet samples were in the range of 0.06-18.6 (median value: 1.75) for HCB, nd-163 (0