Characteristics of Microplastics and Macro-Sized Coastal Debris on the Beaches of the Eastern Takamatsu City, Japan

Key Points

• To examine the characteristics and relationships of microplastics and macro debris on beaches in Eastern Takamatsu City.
• Collected microplastics and macro debris directly from two coastal sites.
• Analyzed the types and quantities of debris from both beaches.
• Assessed correlations between microplastics and macro debris characteristics.
• Microplastics predominantly included polyethylene at Shin-kawa and polystyrene at Yashima.
• Higher counts of both microplastics and macro debris were found closer to urban areas, especially near larger river mouths.
• Plastic was the most common material in macro debris, with hard fragments being significantly present.