The authors propose a methodology for assessing the sources of microplastic pollution (particles 0.5-5 mm in size), which makes it possible to differentiate coastal recreational areas according to the degree of vulnerability to microplastic accumulation. The methodology takes into account the sources of microplastics coming to the beach directly from vacationers - factors of recreational activities, as well as the influence of factors of the adjacent territory: the type of adjacent territory, saturation with transport infrastructure, etc. An analysis of the results of monitoring the microplastic concentration in beach and bottom sediments of seven beaches of the Sevastopol region with varying degrees of anthropogenic load during 2018–2020, as well as an assessment of the sources of microplastic pollution on these beaches using the proposed methodology, made it possible to differentiate these coastal recreational areas according to the degree of vulnerability to accumulation of microplastic pollution. The most vulnerable are the beaches that are actively visited by tourists and located in close proximity to large blocks of apartment buildings and extensive transport infrastructure (Pesochniy and Omega). The beaches Konstantinovsky and Goryachka (placed close tothe thermal power station), located in the zone of active navigation of ships of various tonnage, are confined to areas of low and moderate pollution. The main stream of vacationers on them are local residents with a high turnover rate. The least vulnerable are the beaches with park areas: Uchkuevka, Solnechny and Zolotoy. The source of microplastic pollution on these beaches is mainly vacationers.

Plastic debris is one of the major environmental concerns for the coastal area of Brunei Darussalam. It reduces the aesthetic appeals of the beaches in the country. The current study investigates marine debris on six different beaches of Brunei Darussalam along the South China Sea. Plastic was found the most abundant among whole debris by number (90.02%) and by weight (39.12%). It was classified by size (micro (<5 mm), meso (5-20 mm), macro (21-100), and mega (>100 mm)), colour (transparent, coloured, white and black). Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FT-IR) was used to investigate the types of plastics and additives present in it. Statistical analysis using Minitab 17 and Kruskal-Wallis test was performed for comparison of data at different study sites. All major types of plastics were found in different forms with varying quantities from which toxic chemicals may leach out during degradation. The highest abundance by the number of plastic debris was found on Muara beach with a mean value 74.428 n/m2 ± 34.33 n/m2, while the lowest abundance was found on Lumut beach 53 n/m2 ± 20.9 n/m2. The study shows beaches used for recreational facilities are likely to have more debris as compared to other beaches.

China is the largest plastic consumer in the world. Despite its plastic waste import ban in 2017, this populous economy inevitably generates a large amount of waste, including plastic waste, a considerable part of which has become marine litter. Data from the 2018 National Coastal Cleanup and Monitoring Project, the largest beach litter monitoring activities using the citizen science approach in China, have been retrieved and analyzed to understand spatial patterns, composition, and original usage of marine litter. Within this project, 24 beaches were surveyed every two months. As a result, the mean density was 3.85 ± 5.39 items m⁻², much higher than that reported by previous studies in China. There were great differences in the spatial distribution of litter. The highest densities appeared in the runoff-affected area of the Yangtze River, which was another difference from previous studies. Low-density, easy-to-transport foamed plastics were the major contributor to marine litter in these areas. Along China’s coast, approximately 90% of litter was from land-based sources, and over half of that originated from domestic sources. Including foamed plastic products, plastic litter with low recycling value dominated. Both natural and human factors influencing the spatiotemporal distribution and composition of litter are discussed. Socioeconomic factors, such as the lifestyle and consumption levels of citizens and local waste management systems, are possible explanations for the low-value characteristic of marine litter. The deviation between previous data and citizen science data in this study may be caused by many factors. Based on the discussion on these factors, some suggestions for citizen science research in China are also put forward.

Microplastics are known to be associated with co-contaminants, but little is understood about the mechanisms by which these chemicals are transferred from ingested plastic to organisms. This study simulates marine avian gastric conditions in vitro to examine the bioaccessibility of authigenic metals (Fe, Mn) and trace metals (Co, Pb) that have been acquired by polyethylene microplastic pellets from their environment. Specifically, different categories of pellet were collected from beaches in Cornwall, southwest England, and exposed to an acidified saline solution of pepsin (pH ∼ 2.5) at 40 °C over a period of 168 h with extracted metal and residual metal (available to dilute aqua regia) analysed by ICP-MS. For Fe, Mn and Co, kinetic profiles consisted of a relatively rapid initial period of mobilisation followed by a more gradual approach to quasi-equilibrium, with data defined by a diffusion model and median rate constants ranging from about 0.0002 (μg L⁻¹)⁻¹ h⁻¹ for Fe to about 7 (μg L⁻¹)⁻¹ h⁻¹ for Co. Mobilisation of Pb was more complex, with evidence of secondary maxima and re-adsorption of the metal to the progressively modified pellet surface. At the end of the time-courses, maximum total concentrations were 38.9, 0.81, 0.014 and 0.10 μg g⁻¹ for Fe, Mn, Co and Pb, respectively, with maximum respective percentage bioaccessibilities of around 60, 80, 50 and 80. When compared with toxicity reference values for seabirds, the significance of metals acquired by microplastics from the environment and exposed to avian digestive conditions is deemed to be low, but studies of a wider range of plastics and metal associations (e.g. as additives) are required for a more comprehensive risk assessment.

Plastic pollution is among the most pervasive stressors currently influencing the marine environment and affecting even the most remote areas. To date, there are still fundamental gaps in our understanding of the major pathways and fate of plastic debris in the oceans. Here we show that oceanic insular environments are important transitory repositories of small plastic items floating in the open ocean. Monthly monitoring of seven beaches over a three-year period demonstrate that beaches of the Azores islands with particular characteristics can capture significant quantities of fragments between 2 and 5 mm in length. The beach with the highest plastic loading rates was found to occasionally accumulate densities exceeding 15,000 fragments m⁻² on part of the backshore. However, a large portion of these fragments can be rapidly washed back into the marine environment. Detailed characterization of those plastic items revealed the typology and size distribution to be similar throughout the seven beaches and through the 33 months surveyed, suggesting a same and unique source. Our results show that these oceanic islands of the North-East Atlantic are under pressure of high quantities of fragmented plastic debris that probably entered the ocean many years ago.

To verify weather mangroves act as sinks for marine litter, we surveyed through visual census 20 forests along the Red Sea and the Arabian Gulf, both in inhabited and remote locations. Anthropogenic debris items were counted and classified along transects, and the influence of main drivers of distribution were considered (i.e. land-based and ocean-based sources, density of the forest and properties of the object). We confirmed that distance to major maritime traffic routes significantly affects the density of anthropogenic debris in Red Sea mangrove forests, while this was independent of land-based activities. This suggests ocean-based activities combined with surface currents as major drivers of litter in this basin. Additionally, litter was more abundant where the mangrove density was higher, and object distribution through the mangrove stand often depended on their shape and dimension. We particularly show that pneumatophores act as a sieve retaining large plastic objects, leading to higher plastic mass estimates in mangroves compared to those of beaches previously surveyed in the Red Sea.

It has become apparent that the coastal zones of aquatic environments are significantly affected by plastics pollution. The accumulation of marine plastic litter on beaches is an important problem due to their significant environmental impacts. In this study, 13 coastal areas in Iskenderun Bay (NE Levantine coast of Turkey) were sampled in May 2018 to investigate meso and macroplastic (0.5–123.4 cm) pollution. A total of 1424 meso and macroplastic items in five categories (filament, film, foam, fragments, and pellets) were collected. The average meso and macroplastic concentration was 12.2 ± 3.5 pcs m−2 (12.3 ± 3.5 g m−2) and the mean size for all stations was 3.7 ± 0.16 cm. The highest meso and macroplastic concentration was found in the Dörtyol location (46.2 ± 7.6 pcs m−2) and the lowest concentration was found in the Y. Lagün location (2.3 ± 0.2 pcs m−2). Plastics were separated into 14 different groups based on their origins. The most dominant type was hard plastics (broken, fragmented, and deformed) with 59.8% and greenhouse coverage films with 11%. Our results shows that regardless their source plastics fluxes at beaches from various pathways. Results of this study provide useful information for designing monitoring strategies and setting management goals.

Plastic pollution is prevalent worldwide and affects marine wildlife from urbanized beaches to pristine oceanic islands. However, the ecological basis and mechanisms that result in marine animal ingestion of plastic debris are still relatively unknown, despite recent advances. We investigated the relationship between scavenging behavior and plastic ingestion using green turtles, Chelonia mydas, as a model. Diet analysis of C. mydas showed that sea turtles engaging in scavenging behavior ingested significantly more plastic debris than individuals that did not engage in this foraging strategy. We argue that opportunistic scavenging behavior, an adaptive behavior in most marine ecosystems, may now pose a threat to a variety of marine animals due to the current widespread plastic pollution found in oceans.

Three-quarters of all marine debris (MD) consists of plastic, a reflection of their worldwide use, production and waste mismanagement. Data on MD distributions can improve our ability to effectively reduce debris that escapes onto shorelines and the ocean. In this study, the Matrix Scoring Technique (Marine Strategy Framework Directive Technical Group on Marine Litter) was applied as an approach to calculate the likelihood of single debris items originating from a series of potential sources. Factors considered were: identity and function of debris, beach location, influential activities, “mix” of debris found, presence of indicator items, and quantity of MD. The standing-stock (abundance and composition) of MD was investigated in two sandy beaches (Conceição and Porto Pim) of the Azores Archipelago (NE Atlantic) for the period 2012–2018. The results of this study show promise towards the implementation of a new classification method to determine beach debris sources in remote open-ocean areas.

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/m2 and 1400–62800 n/m2, 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.