Abstract
Reduction of marine debris requires knowledge of its sources. Sources of plastic marine debris found on six beaches of Korea were estimated. Samples larger than 25 mm were collected from 10 quadrats of 5 × 5 m for each beach in spring 2013. The total 752 items (12,255 g) of debris comprised fiber and fabric (415 items, 6,909 g), hard plastic (120 items, 4,316 g), styrofoam (93 items, 306 g), film (83 items, 464 g), foamed plastic other than styrofoam (21 items, 56 g), and other polymer (20 items, 204 g). With the probable sources allocated to each of 55 debris types, the source of 56% of all the collected debris appeared to be oceanbased and 44% was land-based. Priorities of policy measures to reduce marine debris should be different from regions to regions as the main sources of debris may differ.
Similar content being viewed by others
Refrerences
Allsopp M (2006) Plastic debris in the world’s oceans. Greenpeace, 43 p Andrady AL (2011) Microplastics in the marine environment. Mar Pollut Bull 68:1596–1605
Barnes DKA, Galgani F, Thompson, RC, Barlaz, M (2009) Accumulation and fragmentation of plastic debris in global environments. Philos Trans R Soc B Biol Sci 364:1985–1998
Browne MA, Crump P, Niven SJ, Teuten, E, Tonkin A, Galloway T, Thompson R (2011) Accumulation of microplastic on shorelines worldwide: sources and sinks. Environ Sci Technol 45:9175–9179
Carraher CE (2012) Introduction to Polymer Chemistry, Third Edition. CRC Press
Cheshire A, Adler E, Barbière J, Cohen Y, Evans S, Jarayabhand S, Jeftic L, Jung RT, Kinsey S, Kusui ET (2009) UNEP/IOC guidelines on survey and monitoring of marine litter.
Frias, JPGL, Antunes JC, Sobral P (2013) Local marine litter survey: A case study in Alcobaça municipality, Portugal. J Integr Coast Zone Manag 13:169–197
Heo NW, Hong SH, Han GM, Hong S, Lee J, Song YK, Jang M, Shim WJ (2013) Distribution of small plastic debris in crosssection and high strandline on Heungnam beach, South Korea. Ocean Sci J 48:225–233
Hetherington J, Leous J, Anziano J, Brockett D, Cherson A, Dean E, Dillon J, Johnson T, Littman M, Lukehart, N (2005) The Marine Debris Research, Prevention and Reduction Act: A policy Analysis. Columbia Univ
Hidalgo-Ruz V, Gutow L, Thompson RC, Thiel M (2012) Microplastics in the marine environment: A review of the methods used for identification and quantification. Environ Sci Technol 46:3060–3075
Hidalgo-Ruz V, Thiel M (2013) Distribution and abundance of small plastic debris on beaches in the SE Pacific (Chile): A study supported by a citizen science project. Mar Environ Res 87–88:12–18
Hong S, Lee J, Kang D, Choi HW, Ko SH (2014) Quantities, composition, and sources of beach debris in Korea from the results of nationwide monitoring. Mar Pollut Bull 84:27–34
Ivar do Sul JA, Costa MF (2014) The present and future of microplastic pollution in the marine environment. Environ Pollut 185:352–364
Lee J, Hong S, Song YK, Hong SH, Jang YC, Jang M, Heo NW, Han GM, Lee MJ, Kang D (2013) Relationships among the abundances of plastic debris in different size classes on beaches in South Korea. Mar Pollut Bull 77:349–354
McIlgorm A, Campbell HF, Rule MJ (2011) The economic cost and control of marine debris damage in the Asia-Pacific region. Ocean Coast Manag 54:643–651
Ministry of Environment (2012) Announcement No. 2012-243. Required recycle ratio for each product for the year of 2013 (in Korean)
Ministry of Land, Transport and Maritime Affairs (2012) The result report of the Korean National Marine Debris Monitoring in 2012 (in Korean)
Ministry of Land, Transport and Maritime Affairs, Ministry for Food, Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries., Ministry of Environment, Korea Coast Guard (2008) The first basic plan to manage marine debris (for the 5 years of 2009 to 2013) (in Korean), 75 p
Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries, Ministry of Environment, Korea Coast Guard (2013) The Second Basic Plan on Marine Litter Management (2014-2019) (in Korean)
Ocean Conservancy (2007) International Coastal Cleanup Report 2007: Start a Sea Change, 87 p
OSPAR (2009) Marine litter in the North-East Atlantic Region, Assessment and priorities for response. London, United Kingdom, 127 p
Ribic CA, Sheavly SB, Rugg DJ, Erdmann ES (2010) Trends and drivers of marine debris on the Atlantic coast of the United States 1997–2007. Mar Pollut Bull 60:1231–1242
Rochman CM, Browne MA, Halpern BS, Hentschel BT, Hoh E, Karapanagioti HK, Rios-Mendoza LM, Takada H, Teh S, Thompson RC (2013) Policy: Classify plastic waste as hazardous. Nature 494:169–171
Sheavly SB, Register KM (2007) Marine Debris & Plastics: Environmental Concerns, Sources, Impacts and Solutions. J Polym Environ 15:301–305
Sperling LH (2005) Introduction to physical polymer science. John Wiley & Sons, 556 p
Thompson RC, La Belle BE, Bouwman H, Neretin L (2011) Marine debris: Defining a global environmental challenge. UNEP Sci Tech Advis Panel STAP Advis Doc, 28 p
UNEP (United Nations Environment Programme) (2011) UNEP year book 2011: emerging issues in our global environment. United Nations Environment Programme, Nairobi, Kenya, 79 p
UNEP (United Nations Environment Programme) (2012) Policy guidance for implementing the Global Programme of Action for the Protection of the Marine Environment from Land-based Activities over the period 2012-2016, UNEP/GPA/IGR.3/3, Intergovernmental Review Meeting on the Implementation of the Global Programme of Action for the Protection of the Marine Environment from Land-based Activities, Third session, Manila, 25–27 January 2012
Van Franeker JA, Meijboom A, De Jong M, Verdaat H (2010) Fulmar Litter EcoQO Monitoring in the Netherlands 1979-2008 in relation to EU Directive 2000/59/EC on Port Reception Facilities. IMARES Rep, 40 p
Whiting SD (1998) Types and sources of marine debris in Fog Bay, Northern Australia. Mar Pollut Bull 36:904–910
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Jang, Y.C., Lee, J., Hong, S. et al. Sources of plastic marine debris on beaches of Korea: More from the ocean than the land. Ocean Sci. J. 49, 151–162 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12601-014-0015-8
Received:
Revised:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12601-014-0015-8