We can't find the internet
Attempting to reconnect
Something went wrong!
Hang in there while we get back on track
Characterization of microplastic and mesoplastic debris in sediments from Kamilo Beach and Kahuku Beach, Hawai'i
AI summary Read the abstract
Researchers characterized nearly 49,000 large microplastic and mesoplastic particles (0.5–8 mm) hand-picked from two Hawaiian beaches, finding white/transparent fragments were most abundant (72%) and that polyethylene and polypropylene dominated polymer types as confirmed by Raman spectroscopy.
Sediment samples were collected from two Hawai'ian beaches, Kahuku Beach on O'ahu and Kamilo Beach on the Big Island of Hawai'i. A total of 48,988 large microplastic and small mesoplastic (0.5-8mm) particles were handpicked from the samples and sorted into four size classes (0.5-1mm, 1-2mm, 2-4mm, 4-8mm) and nine color categories. For all sizes combined the most common plastic fragment color was white/transparent (71.8%) followed by blue (8.5%), green (7.5%), black/grey (7.3%), red/pink (2.6%), yellow (1.2%), orange (0.6%), brown (0.3%) and purple (0.2%). Color frequency distribution based on both numbers and mass of particles was not significantly different among the various size classes nor between the two beaches. White and black/grey resin pellets accounted for 11.3% of the particles collected from Kahuku Beach and 4.2% of the particles from Kamilo Beach. Plastic type based on Raman Spectrometer analysis of a small representative subsample indicated that most of the fragments were polyethylene and a few were polypropylene.
More Papers Like This
Microplastic pollution on island beaches, Oahu, Hawai`i
AI summary Read the abstract
Researchers surveyed microplastic densities on six windward beaches of Oahu, Hawaii, finding very high concentrations of 700-1,700 particles/m2 on high-wave-energy beaches with coarser sands, comparable to other remote island beaches globally.
Microplastic pollution in surface seawater and beach sand from the shore of Rayong province, Thailand: Distribution, characterization, and ecological risk assessment
AI summary Read the abstract
Researchers surveyed microplastic pollution in beach sand and seawater along Rayong province, Thailand, finding average concentrations of 339 particles per kilogram in sand and 1,781 particles per cubic meter in seawater, with polyethylene as the most common polymer type.
Assessment of micro and macroplastics along the west coast of India: Abundance, distribution, polymer type and toxicity.
AI summary Read the abstract
This study assessed the abundance and types of micro- and macroplastics on ten beaches along India's west coast, finding plastic in all locations with fragments being the most common form. Polymer analysis revealed polypropylene, polyethylene, and polystyrene as the dominant types, and toxicity testing indicated the plastic-contaminated sediments posed ecological risks.
Type and Distribution of Microplastic Contamination in Beach Sediment Along the Coast of the Lower Gulf of Thailand
AI summary Read the abstract
Microplastic contamination was surveyed at five beaches along Thailand's lower Gulf Coast, with Talo Kapo showing the highest abundance and fragment-type particles being most common. The findings document baseline plastic pollution levels and polymer types across different coastal settings.
Type and Distribution of Microplastics in Beach Sediment along the Coast of the Eastern Gulf of Thailand
AI summary Read the abstract
Researchers examined microplastic distribution in beach sediments along the eastern Gulf of Thailand across two monsoon seasons, finding up to 1,698 pieces/m2 at the most contaminated site with PET (39.6%) and polyamide (22.8%) as the dominant polymer types among 17 identified.
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.