Cited by 609Microplastics and Plastic PollutionOil Spill Detection and MitigationPharmaceutical and Antibiotic Environmental Impacts

Large Accumulation of Micro-sized Synthetic Polymer Particles in the Sea Surface Microlayer

Song, Young Kyoung, Hong, Sang Hee, Jang, Mi, Kang, Jung-Hoon, Kwon, Oh Youn, Han, Gi Myung, Shim, Won Joon·2014·Environmental Science & Technology

Abstract

Determining the exact abundance of microplastics on the sea surface can be susceptible to the sampling method used. The sea surface microlayer (SML) can accumulate light plastic particles, but this has not yet been sampled. The abundance of microplastics in the SML was evaluated off the southern coast of Korea. The SML sampling method was then compared to bulk surface water filtering, a hand net (50 μm mesh), and a Manta trawl net (330 μm mesh). The mean abundances were in the order of SML water > hand net > bulk water > Manta trawl net. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) identified that alkyds and poly(acrylate/styrene) accounted for 81 and 11%, respectively, of the total polymer content of the SML samples. These polymers originated from paints and the fiber-reinforced plastic (FRP) matrix used on ships. Synthetic polymers from ship coatings should be considered to be a source of microplastics. Selecting a suitable sampling method is crucial for evaluating microplastic pollution.

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  • PE, PP, PS and PP&A accounted for 74% of global plastic production in 2015 and are commonly used in short life-cycle products.

    “This is not surprising as these materials accounted for 74% of global plastic production in 2015 and are commonly used in short life-cycle products [46,47].”

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Authors
Song, Y. K., Hong, S. H., Jang, M., Kang, J.-H., Kwon, O. Y., Han, G. M., & Shim, W. J.
Affiliations
Korea Institute of Ocean Science and Technology (KR)
Corresponding author
Shim, Won Joon
Venue
Environmental Science & Technology
Published
2014-08-04
Volume
48
Issue
16
Pages
9014-9021
ISSN
  • 0013-936X (ISSN-L)
  • 1520-5851
OpenAlex
W2328478692
Cited by
609
References
39
Citations by year
2026: 39 · 2025: 59 · 2024: 72 · 2023: 73 · 2022: 57 · 2021: 85 · 2020: 59 · 2019: 40 · 2018: 47 · 2017: 28 · 2016: 27 · 2015: 20 · 2014: 3
FWCI
18.34
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
closed
Locations
  • Environmental Science & Technology (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
Funders
Korea Institute of Ocean Science and Technology (PE 99192)
Topics
  • Physical Sciences › Environmental Science › Pollution › Microplastics and Plastic Pollution
  • Physical Sciences › Environmental Science › Pollution › Oil Spill Detection and Mitigation
  • Physical Sciences › Environmental Science › Pollution › Pharmaceutical and Antibiotic Environmental Impacts
Keywords
microplastics, sea surface microlayer, sampling method comparison, marine coatings, fiber-reinforced polymer, microplastic pollution, southern coast of Korea
MeSH terms
Environmental Monitoring, Organic Chemicals, Particle Size, Plastics, Seawater, Ships, Water Pollutants, Chemical, Spectroscopy, Fourier Transform Infrared, Republic of Korea

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