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.

Microbial biofilms can rapidly colonize plastic debris in aquatic environments and subsequently, accumulate chemical pollutants from the surrounding water. Here, we studied the microbial colonization of different plastics, including polyethylene terephthalate (PET), polypropylene (PP), polyvinyl chloride (PVC), and polyethylene (PE) exposed in three freshwater systems (the Qinhuai River, the Niushoushan River, and Donghu Lake) for 44 days. We also assessed the biofilm mass and associated metals attached to plastics. The plastics debris characteristics, such as contact angle and surface roughness, greatly affected the increased biofilm biomass. All types of metal accumulation onto the plastic substrate abundances significantly higher than the concentrations of heavy metal in the water column, such as Ba (267.75 μg/g vs. 42.12 μg/L, Donhu Lake), Zn (254 μg/g vs. 0.023 μg/L the Qinhuai River), and Cr (93.75 μg/g vs. 0.039 μg/L, the Niushoushan River). Compared with other metals, the heavy metal Ba, Cr and Zn accumulated easily on the plastic debris (PET, PP, PVC, and PE) at all incubation sites. Aquatic environmental factors (total nitrogen, total phosphorus, and suspended solids concentrations) largely shaped metal accumulation onto plastic debris compared with plastic debris properties.

Microplastics in commercially important seafood species is an emerging area of food safety concern. While there have been reports of plastic particles in the gastrointestinal tract of several species, presence of microplastics in edible fish tissues has not yet been reported from India. This study examined the presence of microplastics in the edible (muscle and skin) and inedible (gill and viscera) tissues of nine commercially important pelagic fish species from Kerala, India. A total of 163 particles consisting mainly of fragments (58%) were isolated. Out of 270 fishes analysed (n = 30 per species), 41.1% of the fishes had microplastics in their inedible tissues while only 7% of fishes had microplastics in their edible tissues. The quantity of microplastics in inedible tissue was significantly larger in filter feeders than, that in visual predators (p < 0.05). The average abundance of microplastics in edible tissues was 0.07 ± 0.26 items/fish (i.e., 0.005 ± 0.02 items/g) and was 0.53 ± 0.77 items/fish (i.e., 0.054 ± 0.098 items/g) in inedible tissues. The results suggest the possibility of human intake of microplastics by the consumption of pelagic fishes from this region, albeit in small quantities.

Marine plastic pollution is present in all oceans, including remote oceanic islands. Despite the increasing number of articles on plastic pollution in the last years, there is still a lack of studies in islands, that are biodiversity hotspots when compared to the surrounding ocean, and even other recognized highly biodiverse marine environments. Articles published in the peer reviewed literature (N = 20) were analysed according to the presence of macro (>5 mm) and microplastics (<5 mm) on beaches and the marine habitats immediately adjacent to 31 islands of the Atlantic Ocean and Caribbean Sea. The first articles date from the 1980s, but most were published in the 2000s. Articles on macroplastics were predominant in this review (N = 12). Beaches were the most studied environment, possibly due to easy access. The main focus of most articles was the spatial distribution of plastics associated with variables such as position of the beach in relation to wind and currents. Very few studies have analysed plastics colonization by organisms or the identification of persistent organic pollutants (POPs). Islands of the North/South Atlantic and Caribbean Sea were influenced by different sources of macroplastics, being marine-based sources (i.e., fishing activities) predominant in the Atlantic Ocean basin. On the other hand, in the Caribbean Sea, land-based sources were more common.

Plastic debris incidence in marine environment was already highlighted in the early 1970s. Over the last decade, microplastic pollution in the environment has received increasing attention and is now an emerging research area. Many studies have focused on quantifying microplastic abundance in the marine environment, while there are relatively few data on microplastic occurrence in freshwater environment. Recent studies have reported high concentrations of microplastics in lakes and rivers, although the understanding of several factors influencing source, transport and fate is still limited. This study compares different lakes and the common factors, which could influence the occurrence and distribution of microplastics. The three subalpine lakes monitored include Lake Maggiore, Iseo and Garda. The selected sampling transects reflect the hydrologic conditions, the morphometric characteristics of these lakes, and other factors influencing the release of plastics debris in lakes. Particles of microplastics (<5 mm) were found in all sampled surfaces. The particles collected were classified depending on their number, shape and composition. The shape distribution showed the dominating occurrence of fragments (73.7%). The chemical composition of all examined samples clearly shows dominating presence of polyethylene (45%), polystyrene (18%) and polypropylene (15%). The results provide significant relations among the different contribution of direct and diffuse sources to the quantity of microplastics, highlighting the importance of understanding the spatial distribution dynamics of microplastics within a lake system that acts as a sink and source of plastic particles.

Plastic film mulch (PFM) is a double-edged-sword agricultural technology, which greatly improves global agricultural production but can also cause severe plastic pollution of the environment. Here, we characterized and quantified the amount of macro- and micro-plastics accumulated after 32 years of continuous plastic mulch film use in an agricultural field. An interactive field trial was established in 1987, where the effect of plastic mulching and N fertilization on maize yield was investigated. We assessed the abundance and type of macroplastics (>5 mm) at 0–20 cm soil depth and microplastic (<5 mm) at 0–100 cm depth. In the PFM plot, we found about 10 times more macroplastic particles in the fertilized plots than in the non-fertilized plots (6796 vs 653 pieces/m²), and the amount of film microplastics was about twice as abundant in the fertilized plots than in the non-fertilized plots (3.7 × 10⁶ vs 2.2 × 10⁶ particles/kg soil). These differences can be explained by entanglement of plastics with plant roots and stems, which made it more difficult to remove plastic film after harvest. Macroplastics consisted mainly of films, while microplastics consisted of films, fibers, and granules, with the films being identified as polyethylene originating from the plastic mulch films. Plastic mulch films contributed 33%–56% to the total microplastics in 0–100 cm depth. The total number of microplastics in the topsoil (0–10 cm) ranged as 7183–10,586 particles/kg, with an average of 8885 particles/kg. In the deep subsoil (80–100 cm) the plastic concentration ranged as 2268–3529 particles/kg, with an average of 2899 particles/kg. Long-term use of plastic mulch films caused considerable pollution of not only surface, but also subsurface soil. Migration of plastic to deeper soil layers makes removal and remediation more difficult, implying that the plastic pollution legacy will remain in soil for centuries.

Over the last decades, plastic debris has been identified and quantified in the marine environment. Coastal and riverine input have been recognized as sources of plastic debris, whereas oceanic gyres and sediments are understood to be sinks. However, we have a limited understanding of the fate of plastic debris in the nearshore environment. To investigate the movement and distribution of plastic debris in the nearshore environment, we collected samples at three distinct locations: below the high tide line, the turbulent zone created by the combination of breaking wave and backflush (defined as the boundary), and the outer nearshore. We estimated the abundance and physical characteristics (e.g. density, hardness, etc.) of macroplastic and microplastics. Four times and 15 times more macroplastics and microplastics are observed, respectively, at the boundary than in the outer nearshore waters, which suggests an accumulation driven by the physical properties of the plastic particles such as density, buoyancy and surface area. We further report that highly energetic conditions characteristic of the boundary area promote the long-term suspension and/or degradation of low density, highly buoyant or large surface area plastic debris, leading to their preferential accumulation at the boundary. Contrastingly, denser and low surface area plastic pieces were transported to the outer nearshore. These results emphasize the role of selective plastic movement at the nearshore driven by physical properties, but also by the combined effects of several hydrodynamics forces like wave action, wind or tide in the resuspension, as well as degradation and transport of plastic debris out of the nearshore environment.

Plastic pollution in the marine environment poses threats to wildlife and habitats through varied mechanisms, among which are the transport and transfer to the food web of hazardous substances. Still, very little is known about the metal content of plastic debris and about sorption/desorption processes, especially with respect to weathering. In this study, plastic debris collected from the North Atlantic subtropical gyre was analyzed for trace metals; as a comparison, new packaging materials were also analyzed. Both the new items and plastic debris showed very scattered concentrations. The new items contained significant amounts of trace metals introduced as additives, but globally, metal concentrations were higher in the plastic debris. The results provide evidence that enhanced metal concentrations increase with the plastic state of oxidation for some elements, such as As, Ti, Ni, and Cd. Transmission electron microscopy showed the presence of mineral particles on the surface of the plastic debris. This work demonstrates that marine plastic debris carries complex mixtures of heavy metals. Such materials not only behave as a source of metals resulting from intrinsic plastic additives but also are able to concentrate metals from ocean water as mineral nanoparticles or adsorbed species.

Marine plastic waste has become an ever-increasing environmental threat in the world’s ocean largely due to their unique properties and ubiquitous occurrence. They include diverse forms of land- and ocean-based sources of plastics and are estimated to account for up to 85% of marine debris worldwide. As secondary pollutants, marine microplastic particles (<5 mm) are derived from pellet loss and degradation of macroplastics. Up to now, several reports have proposed negative impacts of both macro-sized and micro-sized plastics on marine biota. As one of the rapidly growing economies, China is the topmost contributor of plastic waste in the world. China’s massive impact on the plastic levels of the ocean are a definite cause of concern and is developing multiple economic, environmental and biological complications. The research of plastics impact on coastal environments in China is only incipient. Here we review the available information on plastic waste, their impacts on marine biota and human health, and Chinese government policies and management initiatives. Although Chinese coastal environments (surface water, coastal sediments, water column) are affected by microplastics pollution, both from land-based and sea-based activities, their impacts on marine biota remain to be elucidated. Though national-level policies are modern and well suited for minimizing the impacts of plastic pollution, there is hardly any legislation for containment of microplastic pollution. Our objective is to review and summarize the information about the occurrence, impacts, and management of plastic pollution in the Chinese coastal environments in order to comprehend their widespread repercussions.Microplastics are increasingly being detected and quantified in Chinese coastal environments and legislation for containment of such pollution is highly recommended.

Plastic debris in marine environments and its impact on wildlife species is becoming a problem of increasing concern. In pinnipeds, entanglements commonly consist of loops around the neck of non-biodegradable materials from fishing gear or commercial packaging, known as “neck collars”. These entanglements can cause injuries, death by suffocation and starvation, and therefore they may add to the overall decrease in population. Our objective was to describe the entanglement of two species of otariids (Arctocephalus australis and Otaria flavescens) in the South West Atlantic Ocean. These two species have widely different population sizes and contrasting trends, being the O. flavescens population one order of magnitude lower in abundance with a negative population trend. A total number of 47 entangled individuals and the ingestion of a fishing sinker were recorded (A. australis: n = 26; O. flavescens: n = 22). For A. australis about 40% of the objects came from industrial fishing with which this species overlap their foraging areas, although also its lost or discarded gear can travel long distances. In O. flavescens 48% of observed injuries were very severe, which might indicate that they had been entangled for a long time. More than 60% of the objects came from artisanal and recreational fishing that operates within 5 nautical miles off the coast, which is probably related to coastal foraging habits of this species. Due to the frequent interaction between artisanal fisheries and O. flavescens, it is possible that entangled nets could be active gears. An important contribution to mitigate entanglements can be the development of education programs setting the scenario for effective communication, and exchange with involved fishermen to collect and recycle old fishing nets. Returning to natural fibers or replacement of the current materials used in fishing gear for biodegradable materials can also be a recommended mitigation measure.