Novel extraction and separation method reveals high quantities of microplastics in Hawaiian beach sand

Widespread use and mismanagement of plastics have led to the accumulation of plastic particles on beaches across the world. Proximity to the Eastern Pacific Garbage Patch has made the Hawaiian Islands a hotspot for plastic marine debris. A thorough, effective method to isolate plastic particles from beach sand and plant matter is needed to quantify and monitor meso-to-microplastic pollution levels. Two novel inventions, the Buoyancy Separation Device (BSD) and the Trash Time Machine (TTM), were created to efficiently remove microplastics from beach sand and plant matter, respectively. Low density plastics are removed from sand in situ using density separation with seawater in the BSD. Then, the plastics are isolated from plant matter in the lab by applying a vacuum in the TTM. The goals of this study were to 1) test the efficiency of plastic removal from beach sand using the BSD, 2) test the separation efficiency of synthetic from plant material using the TTM, 3) quantify the amount of plastics on Kahuku Beach in James Campbell National Wildlife Refuge (JCNWR) on the island of Oʻahu (mass and count) and 4) compare plastic concentrations in JCNWR to other locations globally. The removal efficiency of plastics for both the 5 mm and 1 mm sieve sizes was 99.99 ± 0.01 Also see: https://micro2024.sciencesconf.org/559054/document