Distribution of Microplastics along Mai Khao Coastline, Phuket
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.5614/j.eng.technol.sci.2022.54.1.5Keywords:
beach sediment, Mai Khao, microplastics, plastic waste, PhuketAbstract
The distribution of microplastics at Mai Khao beach, Phuket, Thailand was studied. A total of 12 samples from four sample sites with 0.5 m x 0.5 m quadrats were taken at the intertidal zone during March and July, 2020, and sorted into two size classes (>300 m and 20 to 300 m). The mean abundance of microplastics at Mai Khao beach ranged from 44.08 to 68.7 items kg-1 d.w. for >300 m and from 90.6 to 106.1 items kg-1 d.w. for the 20 to 300 m range. White (44.94%) and blue (23.60%) colors, and fiber shape (94.5%) were dominant in particle counts; and based on FTIR analysis the dominant polymer type was polyethylene terephthalate (94.7% by number count), with considerable fractions of cotton and cellophane. The microplastic characteristics suggest anthropogenic activities as possible sources. Notably, the abundance of microplastic found in the study area was definitely higher than at other sites investigated along the west coast or Phuket. Significant differences in the abundances of the two microplastic size classes were observed (p<0.05), indicating that the microplastics in Mai Khao beach can accumulate in the marine food chain and transfer up along the trophic levels. Therefore, urgent attention should be given to the contamination problem, with a proper management system and a public awareness campaign, to reduce the effects of microplastic on organisms and ecosystems.
Downloads
References
Wright, S.L., Thompson, R.C. & Galloway, T.S., The Physical Impacts of Microplastics on Marine Organisms: A Review, Environmental Pollution, 178, pp. 483-492, 2013.
Waring, R.H., Harris, R.M. & Mitchell, S.C., Plastic Contamination of the Food Chain: A Threat to Human Health? Maturitas, 115, pp. 64-68, 2018.
Conkle, J.L., Bz Del Valle, C.D. & Turner, J.W., Are We Underestimating Microplastic Contamination in Aquatic Environments? Environmental Management, 61, pp. 1-8, 2018.
NOAA Marine Debris Program, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration,U.S. Department of Commerce. Laboratory Methods for the Analysis of Microplastics in the Marine Environment: Recommendations or Quantifying Synthetic Particles in Waters and Sediments, 2015, from https://marinedebris.noaa.gov/sites/default/files/ publications-files/noaa_microplastics_methods_manual.pdf (16 June 2021).
Akkajit, P., Tipmanee, D., Cherdsukjai, P., Suteerasak, T. & Thongnonghin, S., Occurrence and Distribution of Microplastics in Beach Sediments Along Phuket Coastline, Marine Pollution Bulletin, 169, 112496, 2021.
Cole, M., Lindeque, P., Fileman, E., Halsband, C., Goodhead, R., Moger, J. & Galloway, T., Microplastic Ingestion by Zooplankton, Environmental Science & Technology, 47(12), pp. 6646-6655, 2013.
Fastelli, P., Bla?kovi?, A., Bernardi, G., Romeo, T., ?i?mek, H., Andaloro, F., Russo, G.F., Guerranti, C. & Renzi, M., Plastic Litter in Sediments from a Marine Area Likely to Become Protected (Aeolian Archipelago's islands, Tyrrhenian sea), Marine Pollution Bulletin, 113(1-2), pp. 526-529, 2016.
Blettler, M.C.M., Ulla, M.A., Rabuffetti, A.P. & Garello, N., Plastic Pollution in Freshwater Ecosystems: Macro-, Meso-, and Microplastic Debris in a Floodplain Lake, Environmental Monitoring and Assessment, 189, 581, 2017.
van Raamsdonk, L.W.D., van der Zande, M., Koelmans, A.A., Hoogenboom, R.L.A.P., Peters, R.J.B., Groot, M.J., Peijnenburg, A.A.C.M. & Weesepoel, Y.J.A., Current Insights into Monitoring, Bioaccumulation, and Potential Health Effects of Microplastics Present in the Food Chain. Foods, 9(1), 72, 2020.
Phuket Provincial Statistical Report, http://phuket.nso.go.th/index.php? option=com_content&view=article&id=132&Itemid=507, 2016. (Text in Thai). (5 April 2021)
Polnyotee, M. & Thadaniti, S., Community-Based Tourism: A Strategy for Sustainable Tourism Development of Patong Beach, Phuket Island, Thailand, Asian Social Science, 11(27), 90, 2015.
Mai Khao Marine Turtle Foundation, https://www.maikhaomarine turtlefoundation.org/about.html#:~:text=Mai%20Khao%20is%20one%20of,can%20no%20longer%20be%20guaranteed., (25 June 2021).
Akkajit, P., Thongnonghin, S., Sriraksa, S. & Pumsri, S., Preliminary Study of Distribution and Quantity of Plastic-debris on Beaches Along the Coast at Phuket Province, Applied Environmental Research, 41(2), pp. 54-62, 2019.
Jiwarungrueangkul, T., Phaksopa, J., Sompongchaiyakul, P. & Tipmanee, D., Seasonal Microplastic Variations in Estuarine Sediments from Urban Canal on the West Coast of Thailand: A Case Study in Phuket province, Marine Pollution Bulletin, 168, 112452, 2021.
Sun, X., Liu, T., Zhu, M., Liang, J., Zhao, Y. & Zhang, B., Retention and Characteristics of Microplastics in Natural Zooplankton Taxa from The East China Sea, Science of the Total Environment, 640?641(1), pp. 232-242, 2018.
Bellasi, A., Binda, G., Pozzi, A., Galafassi, S., Volta, P. & Bettinetti, R., Microplastic Contamination in Freshwater Environments: A Review, Focusing on Interactions with Sediments and Benthic Organisms, Environments, 7, 30, 2020.
Chatterjee, S. & Sharma S., Microplastics in Our Oceans and Marine Health, Field Actions Science Reports, The Journal of Field Actions, pp. 54-61, 2019.
Wang, Z., Su, B., Xu, X., Di, D., Huang, H., Mei, K., Dahlgren, R.A., Zhang, M. & Shang, X., Preferential Accumulation of Small (<300 ?m) Microplastics in the Sediments of a Coastal Plain River Network in Eastern China, Water Research, 144, pp. 393-401, 2018.
Lasut, M.T., Pane, L.R., Doda, D.V.D., Kumurur, V.A., Warouw, V. & Mamuaja, J.M., Seasonal Variation of Marine Debris at Manado Bay (North Sulawesi, Indonesia, International Symposium on Aquatic Sciences and Resources Management, 744, 012038, 2021.
Bissen, R. & Chawchai, S., Microplastics on Beaches along the Eastern Gulf of Thailand - A Preliminary Study, Marine Pollution Bulletin, 157, 111345, 2020.
Prarat, P., Thanayotmethi, T., Sriboonyapirat, T., Donsomchit, P., Hongsawat, P. & Chouychai, B., Preliminary Study of Abundance and Characteristics of Microplastics on Beach Sediment along the Coast of Rayong Province, Thailand, 10th International Conference on Future Environment and Energy, 581, 012033, 2020.
Wang, Y., Zou, X., Peng, C., Qiao, S., Wang, T., Yu, W., Khokiattiwong, S. & Kornkanitnan, N., Occurrence and Distribution of Microplastics in Surface Sediments from the Gulf of Thailand, Marine Pollution Bulletin, 152, 110916, 2020.
Zhu X., Ran W., Teng J., Zhang C., Zhang W., Hou C., Zhao J., Qi X. & Wang Q., Microplastic Pollution in Nearshore Sediment from the Bohai Sea Coastline, Bulletin of Environmental Contamination and Toxicology, 107(4), pp. 665-670, 2020.
Zhang, 2020 Zhang, Y., Kang, S., Allen, S., Allen, D., Gao, T. & Sillanp, M., Atmospheric microplastics: A Review on Current Status and Perspectives, Earth-Science Reviews, 203, 103118, 2020.
Klangnurak, W. & Chunniyom, S., Screening for Microplastics in Marine Fish of Thailand: The Accumulation of Microplastics in The Gastrointestinal Tract of Different Foraging Preferences, Environmental Science and Pollution Research, 27, pp. 27161-27168, 2020.
Nguyen, Q.A.T., Nguyen, H.N.Y., Strady, E., Nguyen, Q.T., Trinh-Dang, M. & Vo, V.M. Characteristics of Microplastics in Shoreline Sediments from A Tropical and Urbanized Beach (Da Nang, Vietnam), Marine Pollution Bulletin, 161(Part B), 111768, 2020.
Asadi, M.A., Hertika, A.M.S., Iranawati, F. & Yuwandita A.Y., Microplastics in the Sediment of Intertidal Areas of Lamongan, Indonesia, AACL Bioflux, 12(4), pp. 1065-1073, 2019.
Dodson, G.Z., Shotorban, A.K., Hatcher, P.G., Waggoner, D.C., Ghosal, S., & Noffke, N., Microplastic Fragment and Fiber Contamination of Beach Sediments from Selected Sites in Virginia and North Carolina, USA., Marine Pollution Bulletin, 151, 110869, 2020.
Ding, J., Li, J., Sun, C., Jiang, F., Ju, P., Qu, L., Zheng, Y. & He, C., Detection of Microplastics in Local Marine Organisms Based On Multi-Technology, Analytical Methods, 11, pp. 78-87, 2019.
Boyle and meci, 2020; Boyle, K. & meci. B., Review Microplastics and Nanoplastics in the Freshwater and Terrestrial Environment: A Review, Water, 12, 2633, 2020.
Haave, M., Lorenz, C., Primpke, S. & Gerdts, G., Different Stories Told by Small and Large Microplastics in Sediment ? First Report of Microplastic Concentrations in an Urban Recipient in Norway, Marine Pollution Bulletin, 141, pp. 501-513, 2019.
Bajt, Oliver, From Plastics to Microplastics and Organisms, FEBS Open Bio, 11, pp. 954-966, 2021.
Sivakunakorn, C., Buatama, U., & Fongsuwan, W., Efficiency of Waste Management in Phuket Province, Research Journal of Business Management, 8, pp. 294-299, 2014.
.png){kind=logo}
