SPATIAL VARIABILITY OF MICROPLASTICS IN THE FUJISAWA COAST AND PRELIMINARY EXPERIMENTAL INVESTIGATION OF ITS REMOVAL

Abstract

 The presence of microplastics (MP) in oceans and beaches have become an issue of concern globally. The distribution of MP on coasts should be known to understand the movement of MP. In this study, the spatial and temporal variation of MP at the Fujisawa coast, Japan, was observed in spring and autumn. The results revealed that the presence of MP on the coast was 93 per m² at the coast. Even on the same coast, the spatial and temporal variation existed, and the movement of MP on the beach may be significantly affected by the wind force. Moreover, more than 90 % of MP in the sand could be removed using a simple removal technique.