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Occurrence, Transport, and Fate of Marine Plastic Debris

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This Japanese review describes how large plastic waste entering the ocean — predominantly from East and Southeast Asia — is transported by currents and wind, eventually fragmenting into microplastics. The review identifies gaps in understanding the full ocean plastic cycle, including the fates of microplastics through sinking, biofouling, and biological uptake.

東アジアや東南アジアから発生する大型プラスチックごみ (マクロプラスチック) は,世界の合計値の55%を占める。マクロプラスチックの海洋での移動は海流と風による。海洋に流出したマクロプラスチックは,海岸に漂着したのち,紫外線や物理的な刺激によって破砕され,プラスチック微細片 (マイクロプラスチック) となる。海洋に浮遊するマイクロプラスチックは海流とストークス・ドリフトによって輸送されるが,生物付着に伴う沈降等,表層からのさまざまな消失過程を伴う。マイクロプラスチックの行方,すなわち海洋での移動や消失過程を包括する海洋プラスチック循環の全容は,まだ解明されていない。

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