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Occurrence of surface sand microplastic and litter in Macajalar Bay, Philippines
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Microplastics and plastic litter were found across three coastal areas of Macajalar Bay in the Philippines, with fragments and films being most common. The findings reflect the Philippines' high plastic pollution load and highlight risks to local marine ecosystems.
Microplastics have become an emerging structural pollutant to the marine environment particularly in the Philippines owing to high plastic load. This study was carried out to determine the occurrence of microplastic and coastal litter in Macajalar Bay, Philippines. Three coastal areas were studied namely, Opol, El Salvador City, and Alubijid with three substations in each area. A total of nine surface sand sediment samples were collected for microplastic analysis. Microplastics were extracted through the flotation method and preliminary identification was carried out using a stereomicroscope. The beach litters were obtained through transect walk in a 5 m × 10 m quadrant per area. Overall, studied microplastics were mainly angular and filament type with colors varying from blue, black, light orange, pale white, and translucent. Litter analysis showed the dominance of plastics across the study area with a mean cumulative coastal clean index (CCI) of 2.40 (clean).
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Physical characterization of litter and microplastic along the urban coast of Cagayan de Oro in Macajalar Bay, Philippines
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Microplastic fibers were found throughout coastal areas of Cagayan de Oro City in the Philippines, with the highest concentrations near river mouths and residential areas. The study highlights how urban development and poor waste management drive microplastic contamination in coastal communities.
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Researchers documented plastic waste on a beach in southwestern Luzon, Philippines, finding high levels of macroplastic litter and establishing baseline microplastic contamination data for a country identified as one of the largest contributors of plastic waste to the ocean.
Disentangling Microplastic Pollution on Beach Sand of Puerto Princesa, Palawan Island, Philippines: Abundance and Characteristics
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Researchers surveyed microplastic pollution on beach sand at Puerto Princesa, Philippines, finding microplastics at 15 of 21 sampling sites with the east coast showing significantly higher contamination than the west coast, with fragments and films being the most common particle types identified.
Macroplastic Accumulation in Coastal Communities of Iligan Bay, Philippines: A Reflection of the Municipal Solid Waste Management
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Researchers surveyed macroplastic litter across three coastal municipalities in Iligan Bay, Philippines, finding densities up to 1.04 items per square meter dominated by food packaging, plastic bottles, and bags, and linking accumulation to poor local waste management and informal disposal practices.
Marine Macro- and Micro Plastic Litter on Beach Sediment of Northern Peninsular Malaysia
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A survey of beaches on Malaysia's northern Peninsular coast found abundant macro- and microplastic litter in sediments, with a correlation between the amount of macroplastic debris and microplastic concentration in the same area. The findings suggest that reducing visible plastic litter on beaches would also reduce the microplastic load accumulating in coastal sediments, where it can persist and affect marine organisms for decades.
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.