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Microplastic pollution on island beaches, Oahu, Hawai`i
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Researchers surveyed microplastic densities on six windward beaches of Oahu, Hawaii, finding very high concentrations of 700-1,700 particles/m2 on high-wave-energy beaches with coarser sands, comparable to other remote island beaches globally.
We report microplastic densities on windward beaches of Oahu, Hawai`i, USA, an island that received about 6 million tourist visits a year. Microplastic densities, surveyed on six Oahu beaches, were highest on the beaches with the coarsest sands, associated with high wave energy. On those beaches, densities were very high (700-1700 particles m-2), as high as those recorded on other remote island beaches worldwide. Densities were higher at storm tide lines than high tide lines. Results from our study provide empirical data on the distribution of microplastics on the most populated and visited of the Hawaiian islands.
More Papers Like This
Preliminary Assessment into the Prevalence and Distribution of Microplastics in North and South Pacific Island Beaches
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Researchers conducted a preliminary investigation into microplastic prevalence on eight beaches across North and South Pacific Island locations in New Zealand and Hawaii, analyzing contamination as a function of beach location, sand type, and microplastic morphology. The study found microplastics at all eight sites, highlighting the widespread distribution of plastic pollution across remote Pacific Island shorelines.
Microplastic Accumulation Patterns in Sand at Three Hawaiian Beaches
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Microplastics were found at all sampled shore zones across three Hawaiian beaches, with fibers dominating at every site and concentrations highest at established beaches compared to a newly formed volcanic beach. The detection of microplastics even in newly created sediment just four months after beach formation suggests that ocean currents rapidly redistribute plastic contamination to any available coastline.
Microplastic pollution on sandy beaches of Puerto Rico
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Researchers sampled sand from six northern beaches of Puerto Rico to determine microplastic abundance and composition, documenting the extent of microplastic pollution on Caribbean island coastal beaches that are considered biodiversity hotspots.
Microplastic contamination in Auckland (New Zealand) beach sediments
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Researchers conducted the first large-scale investigation of microplastic contamination in beach sediments across 39 sites in Auckland, New Zealand, finding contamination at the majority of beaches surveyed. Mean abundance varied by coastal environment type, with estuarine and harbour sites generally showing higher concentrations than open ocean beaches.
Pollution by microplastic in highly crowded sandy beaches in Lima, Peru
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Researchers surveyed microplastic contamination at three heavily visited sandy beaches in Lima, Peru, finding fragments and fibers of polypropylene and polyethylene as the most common particles, with abundance varying by season and beach characteristics.
Research digests by email
When a large batch of papers lands in the Atlas, we read through it and send a short write-up of what stood out.