Bisphenol A and its analogues in sedimentary microplastics of Hong Kong

The occurrence and spatial distribution of bisphenol A (BPA) and analogues bisphenol B (BPB), bisphenol F (BPF) and bisphenol S (BPS) were investigated in microplastic on 11 beaches in Hong Kong. At 10 sites, BPA was the only detected chemical with concentrations ranged from 82.4-989 ng g(-1) microplastic. BPA, BPB and BPS co-occurred at only one site, where it is located close proximity to the outfall of a sewage treatment plant. There was no significant spatial difference of BPA concentrations in microplastic when all the sites were considered, indicating that some remote and presumably cleaner beaches have been contaminated. PE, PP and PS (represented >90% of total polymers) were the most dominated polymers, but there was no correlation between polymer types and BPA concentrations. No evidence was found that the BPA and its analogues accumulate on microplastic since the concentrations were comparable to those found in the sediment.

Automated summary

The study revealed that Bisphenol A (BPA) and its analogues were mainly found in microplastics on beaches in Hong Kong, with no significant spatial differences in BPA concentrations between different sites, indicating that even remote beaches have been contaminated.