First report on the detection of microplastics from the feathers of black-tailed gulls in South Korea

Abstract

In this study, microplastics, including polyethylene (PE), polyethylene terephthalate (PET), polypropylene (PP), and polystyrene (PS), adhering to the feathers of all tracked black-tailed gull individuals were studied. PE was detected in the highest number of feathers (n = 26, 35.6 %), followed by PP (n = 21, 28.8 %), PET and other microplastics (n = 16, 21.9 %), and PS (n = 10, 13.7 %). Furthermore, plastic particles of size 50–100 μm were the most common (n = 33, 45.1 %), followed by ≤50 (n = 21, 28.8 %), 100–150 (n = 11, 15.1 %), ≥200 (n = 7, 9.6 %), and 150–200 μm (n = 1, 1.4 %). Microplastic levels did not differ considerably between the Dokdo and Ulleungdo populations. As black-tailed gulls spend >95 % of their time in coastal areas, coastal pollution caused by oil spills and increasing microplastic levels could lead to physical problems, such as the adherence of oil and microplastics onto feathers.