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Environmental Sources
Marine & Wildlife
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Abundance, composition, and distribution of microplastics larger than 20 μm in sand beaches of South Korea
Environmental Pollution2018
244 citations
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Citation count from OpenAlex, updated daily. May differ slightly from the publisher's own count.
Score: 45
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0–100 AI score estimating relevance to the microplastics field. Papers below 30 are filtered from public browse.
Young Kyoung Song,
Young Kyoung Song,
Jong-Myoung Lee,
Jong-Myoung Lee,
Young Kyoung Song,
Young Kyoung Song,
Young Kyoung Song,
Young Kyoung Song,
Young Kyoung Song,
Young Kyoung Song,
Young Kyoung Song,
Young Kyoung Song,
Young Kyoung Song,
Young Kyoung Song,
Sang Hee Hong,
Young Kyoung Song,
Young Kyoung Song,
Young Kyoung Song,
Young Kyoung Song,
Young Kyoung Song,
Young Kyoung Song,
Sang Hee Hong,
Won Joon Shim
Won Joon Shim
Soeun Eo,
Won Joon Shim
Won Joon Shim
Soeun Eo,
Won Joon Shim
Soeun Eo,
Soeun Eo,
Young Kyoung Song,
Young Kyoung Song,
Young Kyoung Song,
Soeun Eo,
Young Kyoung Song,
Young Kyoung Song,
Young Kyoung Song,
Young Kyoung Song,
Young Kyoung Song,
Young Kyoung Song,
Sang Hee Hong,
Young Kyoung Song,
Won Joon Shim
Soeun Eo,
Soeun Eo,
Young Kyoung Song,
Young Kyoung Song,
Young Kyoung Song,
Young Kyoung Song,
Sang Hee Hong,
Sang Hee Hong,
Sang Hee Hong,
Soeun Eo,
Sang Hee Hong,
Won Joon Shim
Won Joon Shim
Sang Hee Hong,
Won Joon Shim
Won Joon Shim
Won Joon Shim
Won Joon Shim
Won Joon Shim
Won Joon Shim
Won Joon Shim
Sang Hee Hong,
Won Joon Shim
Won Joon Shim
Won Joon Shim
Won Joon Shim
Sang Hee Hong,
Sang Hee Hong,
Sang Hee Hong,
Sang Hee Hong,
Sang Hee Hong,
Sang Hee Hong,
Young Kyoung Song,
Young Kyoung Song,
Won Joon Shim
Sang Hee Hong,
Won Joon Shim
Won Joon Shim
Sang Hee Hong,
Soeun Eo,
Sang Hee Hong,
Won Joon Shim
Sang Hee Hong,
Sang Hee Hong,
Sang Hee Hong,
Sang Hee Hong,
Sang Hee Hong,
Sang Hee Hong,
Sang Hee Hong,
Sang Hee Hong,
Sang Hee Hong,
Sang Hee Hong,
Soeun Eo,
Sang Hee Hong,
Sang Hee Hong,
Sang Hee Hong,
Sang Hee Hong,
Sang Hee Hong,
Sang Hee Hong,
Sang Hee Hong,
Sang Hee Hong,
Soeun Eo,
Soeun Eo,
Soeun Eo,
Soeun Eo,
Soeun Eo,
Soeun Eo,
Soeun Eo,
Soeun Eo,
Soeun Eo,
Soeun Eo,
Soeun Eo,
Soeun Eo,
Soeun Eo,
Soeun Eo,
Soeun Eo,
Soeun Eo,
Won Joon Shim
Won Joon Shim
Won Joon Shim
Won Joon Shim
Won Joon Shim
Won Joon Shim
Won Joon Shim
Won Joon Shim
Young Kyoung Song,
Young Kyoung Song,
Young Kyoung Song,
Young Kyoung Song,
Young Kyoung Song,
Young Kyoung Song,
Jongsu Lee,
Young Kyoung Song,
Young Kyoung Song,
Young Kyoung Song,
Young Kyoung Song,
Young Kyoung Song,
Young Kyoung Song,
Won Joon Shim
Sang Hee Hong,
Won Joon Shim
Young Kyoung Song,
Young Kyoung Song,
Young Kyoung Song,
Young Kyoung Song,
Sang Hee Hong,
Sang Hee Hong,
Sang Hee Hong,
Won Joon Shim
Sang Hee Hong,
Sang Hee Hong,
Young Kyoung Song,
Won Joon Shim
Won Joon Shim
Won Joon Shim
Won Joon Shim
Won Joon Shim
Young Kyoung Song,
Jongsu Lee,
Sang Hee Hong,
Soeun Eo,
Sang Hee Hong,
Sang Hee Hong,
Sang Hee Hong,
Sang Hee Hong,
Sang Hee Hong,
Young Kyoung Song,
Sang Hee Hong,
Sang Hee Hong,
Sang Hee Hong,
Sang Hee Hong,
Sang Hee Hong,
Young Kyoung Song,
Sang Hee Hong,
Young Kyoung Song,
Won Joon Shim
Won Joon Shim
Won Joon Shim
Won Joon Shim
Won Joon Shim
Young Kyoung Song,
Sang Hee Hong,
Young Kyoung Song,
Young Kyoung Song,
Young Kyoung Song,
Young Kyoung Song,
Jong-Myoung Lee,
Young Kyoung Song,
Sang Hee Hong,
Young Kyoung Song,
Sang Hee Hong,
Sang Hee Hong,
Won Joon Shim
Won Joon Shim
Won Joon Shim
Won Joon Shim
Won Joon Shim
Sang Hee Hong,
Sang Hee Hong,
Won Joon Shim
Sang Hee Hong,
Sang Hee Hong,
Won Joon Shim
Jong-Myoung Lee,
Sang Hee Hong,
Sang Hee Hong,
Sang Hee Hong,
Sang Hee Hong,
Sang Hee Hong,
Won Joon Shim
Won Joon Shim
Won Joon Shim
Won Joon Shim
Won Joon Shim
Sang Hee Hong,
Won Joon Shim
Won Joon Shim
Won Joon Shim
Sang Hee Hong,
Sang Hee Hong,
Sang Hee Hong,
Won Joon Shim
Sang Hee Hong,
Won Joon Shim
Sang Hee Hong,
Sang Hee Hong,
Sang Hee Hong,
Won Joon Shim
Won Joon Shim
Won Joon Shim
Won Joon Shim
Won Joon Shim
Jong-Myoung Lee,
Won Joon Shim
Won Joon Shim
Young Kyoung Song,
Young Kyoung Song,
Jongsu Lee,
Won Joon Shim
Summary
A national survey of 20 sandy beaches along the South Korean coast found microplastics at all locations, with fragments as the dominant type and concentrations varying by beach exposure and proximity to population centers. The study establishes a national baseline for beach microplastic contamination to support monitoring and management policy in South Korea.
To support microplastic management, the abundance, composition, and spatial distribution of microplastics on a national scale must be known. Hence, we studied the baseline level of microplastic pollution at 20 sandy beaches along the South Korean coast. All microplastic particles extracted from the sand samples were identified down to 20 μm in size using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. The abundances of large microplastics (L-MPs; 1-5 mm) and small microplastics (S-MPs; 0.02-1 mm) were in the range of 0-2088 n/m and 1400-62800 n/m, respectively. Maximum microplastic abundance was in the size range of 100-150 μm, and particles smaller than 300 μm accounted for 81% of the total abundance. Expanded polystyrene (EPS) accounted for 95% of L-MPs, whereas S-MPs were predominantly composed of polyethylene (49%) and polypropylene (38%). The spatial distribution of L-MPs, excluding EPS, was significantly related to population, precipitation, proximity to a river mouth and abundance of macroplastic debris on beach. However, there were no relationships between S-MPs and other environmental and source-related factors, except for macroplastic debris and L-MPs excluding EPS. These results imply that S-MPs are mainly produced on beaches by weathering, whereas L-MPs other than EPS are mainly introduced from land-based sources and are also partly produced on beaches.