Journal
MARINE POLLUTION BULLETIN
Volume 133, Issue -, Pages 532-542Publisher
PERGAMON-ELSEVIER SCIENCE LTD
DOI: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2018.05.036
Keywords
Microplastics; Foamed polystyrene; Aquaculture; Fragmentation process; Sinking factors
Funding
- Environmental Research and Technology Development Fund of the Ministry of the Environment [4-1502, SII-2]
Ask authors/readers for more resources
Microplastics have adverse effects on marine life. This study examined the abundance and size of microplastics as well as their polymer types in the surface water and the bottom and beach sediments of Hiroshima Bay. The fragmentation process and sinking factors of foamed polystyrene (FPS) microplastics were also examined. Serious FPS pollution spread out not only in the beach sediments but also in the bottom sediments. The average size of FPS particles in the bottom sediments was significantly smaller than that of beached FPS particles. Field emission scanning electron microscopy images suggest that large amounts of microsized or nanosized FPS fragments are likely to be generated from the margins of beached FPS microplastics. X-ray computed tomography images show that FPS microplastics from the bottom sediments had tunnel-like structures inside the particle. Based on these images, FPS microplastics in the bottom sediments were susceptible to biofouling and soil deposition.
Authors
I am an author on this paper
Click your name to claim this paper and add it to your profile.
Reviews
Recommended
No Data Available