Revealing temporal trend in microplastic pollution by using sediment cores

2015 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 26550038
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Challenging Exploratory Research
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Research Field: Risk sciences of radiation and chemicals
• Research Institution: Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology
• Principal Investigator: TAKADA Hideshige 東京農工大学, (連合)農学研究科(研究院), 教授 (70187970)
• Project Period (FY): 2014-04-01 – 2016-03-31
• Keywords: マイクロプラスチック / 柱状堆積物 / コア / FTIR / 歴史変遷

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Analytical method of microplastics in sediment was established. It includes removal of biofilm by hydrogen peroxide, density separation by sodium iodide, and FTIR. Distinguishment of plastics from natural polymer was achieved by combination of carbonyl and vinyl indices.
Increasing trends in microplastic concentrations were observed in sediment cores from Tokyo (moat Sakurada), Bangkok (Gulf of Thailand), Malaysia (Straits of Johor), Vietnam (Tongkin Bay), and South Africa (Durban Bay). In the core from Tokyo, no plastics were detected in layers deposited prior to 1900 when no plastics were manufactured, whereas trace number of microplastics were detected in layer corresponding to 1950s and larger numbers of plastics were observed in the upper layer corresponding to 2000s.

Free Research Field

環境化学