Park Jaeyeon, Hong Seongjin, Shim Won Joon, Khim Jong Seong, Park Jinsoon
Department of Convergence Study on the Ocean Science and Technology, Korea Maritime and Ocean University, Busan 49112, Republic of Korea; Marine Ecosystem Research Center, Korea Institute of Ocean Science and Technology, Busan 49111, Republic of Korea.
Department of Marine Environmental Science, Chungnam National University, Daejeon 34134, Republic of Korea.
Mar Pollut Bull. 2023 Apr;189:114741. doi: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2023.114741. Epub 2023 Mar 2.
Studies on distribution of microplastics (MPs) in sediments of tidal flats are relatively scarce compared to other coastal areas. In this study, spatial and vertical distributions and compositions of MPs in tidal flat sediments along the west coast of Korea were investigated. The abundance of MPs in surface and core sediments ranged from 20 to 325 and 14 to 483 particles per 50 g dry weight, respectively. Polypropylene (51%) and polyethylene (36%) were the most dominant MPs; the size was <0.3 mm, and the shape was mostly fragments followed by fibers. The abundance of MPs in sediments has increased rapidly since the 1970s, and recently showed a slight decrease. Surface morphology of MPs analyzed using a scanning electron microscope revealed that the MPs in tidal flats were highly weathered mechanically and/or oxidatively. The results of this study provide valid baseline data on distributions of MPs in tidal flats.
与其他沿海地区相比，潮滩沉积物中微塑料（MPs）的分布研究相对较少。在本研究中，对韩国西海岸潮滩沉积物中微塑料的空间和垂直分布及组成进行了调查。表层沉积物和柱状沉积物中微塑料的丰度分别为每50克干重20至325个和14至483个颗粒。聚丙烯（51%）和聚乙烯（36%）是最主要的微塑料；尺寸小于0.3毫米，形状大多为碎片，其次是纤维。自20世纪70年代以来，沉积物中微塑料的丰度迅速增加，最近略有下降。使用扫描电子显微镜分析微塑料的表面形态表明，潮滩中的微塑料在机械和/或氧化方面受到高度风化。本研究结果为潮滩中微塑料的分布提供了有效的基线数据。
