Occurrences, Distribution and Composition of Microplastics in the Surface Seawater and Beach Sediments of the Southern Shandong Peninsula, China

DOI: https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-790759/v1

Abstract

The current work provides the detailed analysis about microplastics contamination of the beach sediments and surface seawater. Sediment samples were collected from the high tidal zone at 13 beaches, and surface seawaters of seven stations along the southern Shandong Peninsula. The presence of microplastics was recorded on both beaches and surface seawater. The mean quantity of microplastics was approximately 664±80 microplastics/kg of dry weight (dw) with 0.5~0.125 mm in beach sediments, and 5.62±0.4 microplastics/liter (L) of surface seawater. Predominant microplastics were fibers (>97%). While other plastic forms had lower percentage. Microplastics possessed different color with polymer composition including polypropylene, polyethylene, and polystyrene. The accumulation of microplastics on beaches is an alarming issue and provides better understanding about microplastics pollution along the coastal regions of the southern Shandong Peninsula. It would also help to establish better monitoring system for future and evaluate possible risks by microplastics due to rapid economic growth of China.

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