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Distribution of small plastic debris in cross-section and high strandline on Heungnam beach, South Korea

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Abstract

The spatial distribution of small plastic debris on Heungnam beach in February 2011 was investigated. The abundances of small plastic debris over 2 mm in size along the high strandline and cross-sectional line of the beach were determined. The mean abundances of small plastics were 976 ± 405 particles/m2 at the high strandline in the upper tidal zone along the shoreline and 473 ± 866 particles/m2 at the cross-section perpendicular to the shoreline. Specifically, styrofoam (expanded polystyrene) spherules accounted for 90.7% of the total plastic abundance in the high strandline and 96.3% in the cross-section. The spatial distribution patterns of small plastic debris differed between the high strandline and cross-sectional line. The cross-sectional distribution of small plastic abundance differed among plastic types, indicating that representative sampling of small plastic debris on a beach is necessary.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Oil & POPs Research Group, South Sea Research Institute, KIOST, Geoje, 656-834, Korea

    Nak Won Heo, Sang Hee Hong, Gi Myung Han, Young Kyung Song, Mi Jang & Won Joon Shim

  2. Marine Environmental Chemistry and Biology, University of Science and Technology, Daejeon, 305-350, Korea

    Sang Hee Hong, Young Kyung Song, Mi Jang & Won Joon Shim

  3. Our Sea of East Asia Network, Tongyoung, 650-826, Korea

    Sunwook Hong & Jongmyoung Lee

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  1. Nak Won Heo
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  2. Sang Hee Hong
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  3. Gi Myung Han
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  4. Sunwook Hong
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  5. Jongmyoung Lee
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  6. Young Kyung Song
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  7. Mi Jang
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  8. Won Joon Shim
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Correspondence to Won Joon Shim.

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Heo, N.W., Hong, S.H., Han, G.M. et al. Distribution of small plastic debris in cross-section and high strandline on Heungnam beach, South Korea. Ocean Sci. J. 48, 225–233 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12601-013-0019-9

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12601-013-0019-9

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