Disentangling Microplastic Pollution on Beach Sand of Puerto Princesa, Palawan Island, Philippines: Abundance and Characteristics

Microplastics (MPs) have become an emerging threat to the marine environment and biota. This study was conducted to determine the occurrence of MPs on the beach sand of Puerto Princesa, Philippines. Microplastics were extracted from the beach sand through the flotation method and preliminarily identified using a stereomicroscope. A total of 47 MPs were extracted from beach sand. Among the 21 sampling sites, the beach sands from 15 sites were contaminated with MPs. The east coast of Puerto Princesa (0.023 particles/g) has significantly higher MP abundance than the west coast (0.006 particles/g). The shapes of MPs were predominantly fiber (79%), and the majority were blue. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) analysis identified polymer types of mainly polyethylene terephthalate (PET) and polypropylene (PP). Overall, 71% of the sampling sites showed the presence of MPs. Future studies should consider the presence and effects of MPs in the food chain, particularly on seafood.

Automated summary

Microplastics are a growing threat to the marine environment and organisms, and this study found a significant presence of microplastics in the beach sand of Puerto Princesa, Philippines. The east coast showed higher abundance of microplastics compared to the west coast, with predominantly blue fiber particles identified as polyethylene terephthalate (PET) and polypropylene (PP). The presence of microplastics was detected in 71% of the sampling sites, highlighting the need for future research on the presence and effects of microplastics in the food chain, particularly seafood.