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Spatial and seasonal distribution of microplastics on sandy beaches along the coast of the Hengchun Peninsula, Taiwan
Summary
Researchers conducted the first survey of microplastic pollution on beaches along the Hengchun Peninsula in Taiwan, sampling eight beaches in two seasons and finding microplastics in all locations with higher abundances in summer. The results provide baseline contamination data for a major tourist coastal area and document seasonal variation in beach microplastic accumulation.
Here we present the first report on microplastic pollution on the beaches along the coast of the Hengchun Peninsula, which is one of the major tourist attractions in Taiwan. By using a standard operating procedure, sand samples were collected from eight beaches in June and November in 2017, and the microplastics in the sand samples were quantified and characterized in the laboratory. The average density of microplastics ranged from 80 to 480 particles/kg dry weight sand. There was no apparent seasonal difference but there were significant spatial differences among sampling sites. No significant difference in microplastic levels was observed among the west, south, and east coasts, but microplastic density was higher on beaches with higher tourism activity levels. The most abundant type of microplastics was fiber (>97%) and the most common color was white/transparent (57%). In addition, using a Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) spectrophotometer we identified microplastics as polyethylene (PE) and polypropylene (PP). Our results show that microplastics are ubiquitous along the coast of the Hengchun Peninsula, and the major factor associated with the abundance of microplastics is tourism activity.