We can't find the internet
Attempting to reconnect
Something went wrong!
Hang in there while we get back on track
The Impacts of Renourishment and Grain Size on Microplastic Abundance in Carolina Beach Sands
AI summary Read the abstract
Researchers sampled microplastics from beaches across North and South Carolina, finding plastic particles at every site with concentrations between 60 and 351 particles per gram of sand, and no clear relationship between contamination levels and time since beach renourishment. The results suggest that ongoing sources of microplastics — not one-time sand replenishment events — are the dominant driver of beach contamination along this coastline.
Beach renourishment is common along the coast of the Carolinas, yet little is known about its impact on microplastic concentrations in beach sands. This study investigates how microplastic abundance varies with both grain size and time since beach renourishment. Samples were collected from three zones, the dunes, the high tide line, and within the intertidal zone, from 8 beaches in North Carolina and South Carolina, U.S.A. Microplastics (MP) were found at every beach in abundances ranging from 59.9 to 351.2 particles per gram (n/g) with no distinct abundance patterns associated with sampling zone.The plastics were very small, averaging just over 100 μm in width, and both fibers and particles are common morphologies. The sands analyzed, with the exception of one coarser sample, had mean grain size values in the fine to medium grain size range and there is no correlation with grain size and MP abundance. The sands were moderately to poorly sorted (sorting range from 0.52 to 1.18 ɸ) and poorly sorted samples had lower MP abundances. There is variation in MP abundance between beaches, but there is no relationship between abundance and time since beach renourishment. These results suggest that other factors have a stronger influence on concentrating MP along Carolina coasts than renourishment.
More Papers Like This
Toward a Method of Assessing Microplastic Accumulation in Beach Sand Deposits
AI summary Read the abstract
Researchers tested four saline density separation solutions to develop a low-cost method for extracting and quantifying microplastics from beach sand, achieving recovery rates of 61–78% for coarse particles across six plastic types. Standardizing affordable extraction methods is a critical step toward generating comparable microplastic concentration data across global beach environments.
A Procedure for Isolating Microplastic Particles Based on Evaluation of Coastal Dune Sands from Sandy Neck Beach, Barnstable, Massachusetts
AI summary Read the abstract
Researchers developed a standardized method using the fluorescent dye Nile Red and zinc chloride density separation to isolate and identify microplastics from beach dune sand, finding microplastics at all nine sampling sites at Sandy Neck Beach — indicating plastic contamination extends from ocean shores into coastal terrestrial environments.
Microplastic Accumulation Patterns in Sand at Three Hawaiian Beaches
AI summary Read the abstract
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.
Evaluation of Microplastics in Beach Sands on Isle of Man
AI summary Read the abstract
Researchers evaluated microplastic contamination in beach sands on the Isle of Man, finding plastic particles capable of releasing harmful chemicals into coastal environments. Beach contamination is significant because it indicates ongoing fragmentation of larger plastics and potential exposure pathways for coastal communities and marine life.
Developing a Reliable Method for Separating Microplastics from a Variety of Beach Sediments
AI summary Read the abstract
Researchers tested and refined a method for separating microplastics from beach sediments using dry sieving combined with density separation, finding that treating different sediment size fractions separately improved recovery and reduced filter clogging, making it easier to detect microplastics across a wide range of particle sizes.
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.