Source Of Debris Research Articles

Diet and debris ingestion of skuas on Fildes Peninsula, King George Island, Antarctica.

Using pellet analysis, we characterized the diet and plastic and non-plastic debris ingestion of skuas (Catharacta spp.) during 2017-2020 summer seasons along the coastal sector of Fildes Peninsula (King George Island, Antarctica). In addition, we conducted the same analysis during the 2020 breeding season on reproductive territories of south polar (Catharacta maccormicki) and brown (Catharacta antarctica lonnbergi) skua. Our results confirm the generalist and opportunistic habits of both skua species. Additionally, it has been proposed that brown skua displaces south polar skua from penguin breeding colonies given its higher competitive abilities, and our results suggest this might not have happened during the study period. Along with evidence from other studies, this work underlines the idea that potential local anthropogenic sources of plastic and non-plastic debris at Fildes Peninsula need to be further addressed to improve current mitigation efforts.

Facing marine debris in China.

China is one of the largest waste importers and producers in the world, with land-based discharges mainly from domestic sewage and industrial wastes being the main source of marine debris (MD) including three distributional types as stranding on the beach (BMD), floating on the water surface (FMD), and submerging into sediments (SMD). Fishery-related activities are also one of the main sources of marine debris: intensive aquaculture, fishing, and related household activities. Marine debris, showing different ways of leaching, degradation and fragmentation, can be ingested, incorporated and accumulated by marine organisms through the food chain, and ultimately pose risks to the ecological environment, economic benefits and human health. Comprehensive countermeasures, from awareness to practices and from the government to the public, are now being implemented in China and have achieved remarkable results especially in domestic waste incineration, but greater commitment and stronger execution are urgently required.

Analyzing Safety Risk Imposed by Jobsite Debris to Nearby Built Environments Using Geometric Digital Twins and Vision-Based Deep Learning

Extreme wind events can pick up loose and small objects on the ground, and once the objects become airborne, they negatively impact surrounding communities due to the collision impact. In this regard, jobsites and laydown yards that involve construction materials such as gravel piles and crushed rocks could be the main sources of potential windborne debris during extreme wind events. To analyze safety risk and predict the damage imposed by jobsite debris to nearby built environments, a new computer vision-based risk assessment based on geometric digital twins of jobsite debris is proposed for the reliability analysis on glazing systems of dwellings located on nearby jobsites. The impact of a gravel pile in a railroad jobsite on nearby buildings and residential environments was studied based on extreme wind event scenarios, and the failure risk of the building glazing system was computed. The risk associated with jobsite debris during extreme wind events and their impact on neighboring communities are analyzed through three computing modules: (1) satellite imagery-based terrain modeling to study 3D characteristics of the at-risk built environment; (2) analyzing visual data from Google Street View to assess the risk associated with glazing panels of dwellings in the communities; and (3) analyzing visual data from a jobsite to quantify the impact of jobsite debris, to associate its safety risk to neighboring communities. The proposed method can provide an immediate heads up for those who reside nearby jobsites, allowing to take required preemptive actions to protect their habitation against potential windborne debris. Practitioners will also be informed of such jobsite debris-related risk before extreme wind events to better secure their jobsites for the risk mitigation.

Challenges in waste management at the household level in settlements along the Sario River as the source of marine debris to Manado Bay, Indonesia

Marine debris mitigation should be conducted thoroughly especially in the level where they are originated, which is household and settlement areas. In developing countries, waste management in household level has been a challenge because it has never been done properly. This study aims to evaluate the content and the application of waste management guidelines in settlement areas along the river, to assess the level of understanding of each head of family in using the guidelines and to assess the awareness level in doing the waste management. There are two aspects of waste management in household level: 1) waste management mechanisms, and 2) awareness of each head of family in was management. Mechanism aspect of waste management consists of two components. They are (1) guidelines in management mechanisms (which consists of guideline content and level of understanding-compliance) and (2) implementation of management mechanisms. Awareness aspect of each head of family in conducting waste management were assessed based on three components, they are 1) knowledge, 2) concern, and 3) willingness. A number of 249 households (from a total 453 who live in both sides of the river) were interviewed (as respondents) and they were chosen randomly. The respondent was those with family (parents and children) and the head of the household. The interview was conducted using a questionnaire, which content several questions related to the assessed aspects. The data was quantitatively analysed using a simple Statistics obtain percentages. The result shows that the a detailed content of guidelines on how to properly manage the was not found, the level of understanding on waste management was still low, the implementation of waste management in the level of household has not been done properly, and the willingness to share the finance in waste management is also low. It is then concluded that waste management at the household level in the regions faces various challenges. The best choice in waste management aspect at the household level is given in in this paper.

Using long-term citizen science data to distinguish zones of debris accumulation.

Studies show that a driver of coastal debris is the rate between debris deposition and resuspension; however, the influence of beach zone topography on the distribution of debris remains poorly understood. Using five years of marine debris data collected by the COASST citizen science program, we explored the spatiotemporal trends in debris abundance within two regions of the United States Pacific Northwest and investigated whether higher debris loads are associated with beach zones that have a higher propensity to trap debris. We found that beaches with larger wood zones had higher debris loads, adding to the growing evidence that backshore areas of beaches act as sinks for debris. Higher debris loads were also associated with beaches that had larger wrack zones suggesting that onshore transport from the marine reservoir is a dominant source of debris. This study provides a long-term baseline of marine debris which managers could use to inform source reduction interventions.

Identifying marine debris source position using adjoint marginal sensitivity method and stranded beach litter data in Singapore

Movement of marine debris is transboundary and complex, travelling vast distances and accumulating on shorelines. These marine debris wash ashore as stranded beach litter. The objective of this work is to identify release sources of marine debris accumulated along the Singapore coastlines collected by applying a time-backward adjoint marginal sensitivity method and citizen science data of stranded beach litter by a voluntary beach clean-up group. A popular tourist hotspot on the opposite shore was estimated as a possible release source contributing to the marine debris accumulation. This analytical result was validated by population density, industry types, rainfall, and inference from product packaging labels. The use of the citizen science data also illustrated potential as a data source for baseline monitoring and long-term cross-border research that influence policymaking. Future research can be conducted in an expanded domain, considering monsoon effects and instantaneous release events.

Plastic and other anthropogenic debris in Arctic fox (Vulpes lagopus) faeces from Iceland

Anthropogenic debris, including plastic pollution, is a growing concern in the Arctic and negatively impacts both marine and coastal organisms. The aim of this study was to investigate the potential for using Arctic fox (Vulpes lagopus) faeces as a monitoring tool for plastic pollution in the Arctic environment. Arctic fox faeces were collected in different regions of Iceland and analysed for anthropogenic debris presence larger than 300 µm, and diet composition. In total, 235 faecal samples from 1999, 2017, 2018 and 2020 were analysed. The overall frequency of occurrence of plastic and other anthropogenic material was 5.11% and was found in samples across all regions and years. There were no statistical differences in anthropogenic debris ingested, depending on year or region. There were no obvious differences in diet composition between samples that contained anthropogenic debris and samples without. The suitability of Arctic fox faeces as a method to monitor plastic and anthropogenic debris levels in the Arctic environment remains debatable: Whilst the vast distribution range of the Arctic fox and the non-invasive collection methodology of faecal samples could be utilised as a good monitoring tool, the overall low uptake and unclear source of plastic and anthropogenic debris (marine or terrestrial) makes the interpretation of the data difficult. Nevertheless, debris ingestion by Arctic foxes remains a concern and warrants further studies.

Terraced Landscapes as NBSs for Geo-Hydrological Hazard Mitigation: Towards a Methodology for Debris and Soil Volume Estimations through a LiDAR Survey

Terraced landscapes are widely applied in many mountainous regions around the world as a result of the necessity to practice subsistence agriculture. Hence, they can be regarded as one of the most diffused anthropogenic modifications of the Earth’s surface. Different techniques have been used for their implementation leading to the artificial immobilization of debris and soil along the slopes whose surface is interrupted by a sequence of sub-horizontal and sub-vertical areas often using stone walls. In some areas of the world, such interventions are thousands of years old and their resistance to the degradation caused by the morphogenetic system can be attributed to the permeability of the stone walls as well as to their regular maintenance. In some other areas, the lack of maintenance has been the main cause for degradation processes ending with their collapse. The effects of climate change manifested through higher intensities and higher frequencies of rainfall are likely to accelerate the degradation process further by causing terraces to act as a source of debris or hyperconcentrated flow. This will in turn increase the severity of geo-hydrological hazards. The measures concerning reduction of geo-hydrological hazards are sought through identification of abandoned terraces and assessment of the potential for their sudden collapse. The present paper describes a framework for identification of abandoned terraces and estimation of the potential volume of shallow landslides that can be generated. The research conducted aims to advance the existing hazard assessment practices by combining numerical modeling with processing of high-resolution LiDAR data. A new algorithm is developed to support localization of terraces. The catchment scale approach applied to eight smaller catchments enables estimation of the total volume of soil and debris trapped along the slopes. It also generated some important quantitative data which will be used in the future risk assessment work. The work has been carried out within the EU-funded H2020 project RECONECT.

Plastic debris in plastic-mulched soil-a screening study from western Germany.

BackgroundAgricultural plastic mulches offer great benefits such as higher yields and lower pesticide use. Yet, plastic mulches may disintegrate over time and fragment into smaller debris. Such plastic debris is expected to remain in the field after removal of the plastic mulch and thus contributes to soil contamination with plastics.MethodTo investigate this, we collected soil samples at 0–10 cm and 10–40 cm depth from three fields covered with black mulch film for three consecutive years. Three fields without any reported plastic use served as control. Visual plastic debris > 1 cm (macroplastics) was collected from the soil surface. Mesoplastics between 2 mm and 1 cm were density separated from the sampled soil using saturated NaCl solution and analyzed by Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy. Debris ≤ 2 mm (microplastics) was dispersed from 50 g soil using sodium hexametaphosphate solution followed by the aforementioned density separation. The separated polyethylene (PE), polypropylene (PP), and polystyrene (PS) were quantified via solvent-based pyrolysis–gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (Py–GC/MS).ResultsWith 89–206 fragments ha−1, the majority of macroplastics were located in fields previously covered with mulch films. 80% of the collected specimen were identified as black PE film. The number of mesoplastics in plastic-mulched soil was 2.3 particles kg−1, while only 1.0 particles kg−1 were found in the reference fields. Py–GC/MS revealed microplastic levels of up to 13 mg kg−1. The PE content was significantly higher in plastic-mulched fields than in reference fields.DiscussionAlthough the identified plastic levels are lower than those reported in comparable studies, our results still suggest that plastic mulching functions as a source of plastic debris in agricultural systems. Due to its severely restricted degradability, these plastics are likely to accumulate in soil in the long term and further fragment into smaller and smaller debris.

Relationship between ocean area and incidence of anthropogenic debris ingested by longnose lancetfish (Alepisaurus ferox)

Marine debris is present between the sea surface and the sea floor, but few studies have investigated plastic in water column. Therefore, we chose longnose lancetfish (Alepisaurus ferox) as a sample, this study samples mesopelagic species that ingest marine debris in the water column. We conducted a survey of the stomach contents of longnose lancetfish caught by longline fishing in three areas (Sagami Bay, Northwestern Pacific Ocean about 190 km southeast of Kyushu, Indian Ocean about 1200 km southwest of Sumatra Island, Indonesia). A total of 164 longnose lancetfish were caught. Our results highlighted four marine debris patterns. First, longnose lancetfish caught near the coast had a higher frequency of ingested anthropogenic items (Sagami Bay: 69%) than longnose lancetfish caught in the open ocean area (Northwestern Pacific Ocean: 13%, Indian Ocean: 18%). Second, the size of the plastic present in the ocean in the sea area close to the coast ingested by longnose lancetfish tended to be smaller than in the open ocean area. Third, 93% of the anthropogenic items obtained from the stomach were plastic, of which ¿90% was either polypropylene (PP) or polyethylene (PE). And last, the sources of marine debris in the middle and deep regions of the open ocean are fishing activities carried out in that sea area and items that drift from the land without losing buoyancy. Our research makes new discoveries about characteristics of the marine debris in the ocean.

Considerations on the lists of the top 50 debris removal targets

Remediation measures, such as Active Debris Removal (ADR) has been studied in order to preserve the space environment. Large derelict objects in crowded orbits are considered ADR targets because they are the source of numerous small debris in case of fragmentation. The target for removal must be chosen carefully because cost is the major issue in realizing ADR, and it is necessary to remediate the orbital environment as efficiently as possible. Last year, Dr. McKnight et al. presented the top 50 debris removal targets by combining each of the top 50 lists compiled by eleven international teams. This paper discusses the considerations involved in selecting debris removal targets. This study first considered the top 50 objects, to be removed according to each index, and then evaluated the consequences of the removal using Near-Earth Orbit Debris Environment Evolutionary Model (NEODEEM), a debris evolutionary model developed by Kyushu University and JAXA. Differences in debris removal targets were studied for long-term stability or short-term safety. This paper discusses why some indices are effective in the short or long term in terms of the orbital distribution of selected targets and the effects of removal in each altitude band. It also discusses the differences between removing 50 objects and removing one object each year, and the effects of removal timing and so on. It found that integrating different indices is effective, and that the removal target must be determined according to the situation. It is more important to remove as much debris as possible as early as possible rather than focusing on an object's ranking in a list.

Consumer Concern and Willingness to Pay for Plastic Alternatives in Food Service

Plastic food service packaging represents a large source of plastic waste and marine debris. Currently, most food service business operators are resistant to changing to environmentally friendly alternatives due to perceived cost and loss of business due to passing these costs onto the consumer. To address these issues, we assessed the willingness of consumers to pay for plastic alternatives in both dine-in and takeout scenarios at restaurants in relation to levels of environmental concern, environmental identity, and demographics through a survey. Data were analyzed using a combination of descriptive statistics, regressions, and exploratory factor analyses. Of the 1371 survey responses, nearly 66% of respondents indicated they would be willing to pay 40 cents or more per person per meal at a restaurant for plastic alternatives and that this preference did not vary between dine-in and takeout scenarios. Additionally, education level and level of caring for the environment were the two most significant factors that increased willingness to pay for plastic alternatives.

Cellulose in atmospheric particulate matter at rural and urban sites across France and Switzerland

Abstract. The spatiotemporal variations in free-cellulose concentrations in atmospheric particles, as a proxy for plant debris, were investigated using an improved protocol with a high-performance liquid chromatography with pulsed amperometric detection (HPLC-PAD) method. Filter samples were taken from nine sites of varying characteristics across France and Switzerland, with sampling covering all seasons. Concentrations of cellulose, as well as carbonaceous aerosol and other source-specific chemical tracers (e.g. elemental carbon, EC; levoglucosan; polyols; trace metals; and glucose), were quantified. Annual mean free-cellulose concentrations within PM10 (particulate matter) ranged from 29 ± 38 ng m−3 at Basel (urban site) to 284 ± 225 ng m−3 at Payerne (rural site). Concentrations were considerably higher during episodes, with spikes exceeding 1150 and 2200 ng m−3 at Payerne and ANDRA-OPE (Agence nationale pour la gestion des déchets radioactifs Observatoire Pérenne de l'Environnement; rural site), respectively. A clear seasonality, with highest cellulose concentrations during summer and autumn, was observed at all rural and some urban sites. However, some urban locations exhibited a weakened seasonality. Contributions of cellulose carbon to total organic carbon are moderate on average (0.7 %–5.9 %) but much greater during “episodes”, reaching close to 20 % at Payerne. Cellulose concentrations correlated poorly between sites, even at ranges of about 10 km, indicating the localised nature of the sources of atmospheric plant debris. With regards to these sources, correlations between cellulose and typical biogenic chemical tracers (polyols and glucose) were moderate to strong (Rs = 0.28–0.78, p < 0.0001) across the nine sites. Seasonality was strongest at sites with stronger biogenic correlations, suggesting the main source of cellulose arises from biogenic origins. A second input to ambient plant debris concentrations was suggested via resuspension of plant matter at several urban sites, due to moderate cellulose correlations with mineral dust tracers, Ca2+, and Ti metal (Rs = 0.28–0.45, p < 0.007). No correlation was obtained with the biomass burning tracer (levoglucosan), an indication that this is not a source of atmospheric cellulose. Finally, an investigation into the interannual variability in atmospheric cellulose across the Grenoble metropole was completed. It was shown that concentrations and sources of ambient cellulose can vary considerably between years. All together, these results deeply improve our knowledge on the phenomenology of plant debris within ambient air.

Temporal evolution of headwall erosion rates derived from cosmogenic nuclide concentrations in the medial moraines of Glacier d'Otemma, Switzerland

AbstractClimate change affects the stability and erosion of high‐alpine rock walls above glaciers (headwalls) that deliver debris to glacier surfaces. Since supraglacial debris in the ablation zone alters the melt behaviour of the underlying ice, the responses of debris‐covered glaciers and of headwalls to climate change may be coupled. In this study, we analyse the beryllium‐10 (10Be)‐cosmogenic nuclide concentration history of glacial headwalls delivering debris to the Glacier d'Otemma in Switzerland. By systematic downglacier‐profile‐sampling of two parallel medial moraines, we assess changes in headwall erosion through time for small, well‐defined debris source areas. We compute apparent headwall erosion rates from10Be concentrations ([10Be]), measured in 15 amalgamated medial moraine debris samples. To estimate both the additional10Be production during glacial debris transport and the age of our samples we combine our field‐based data with a simple model that simulates downglacier debris trajectories. Furthermore, we evaluate additional grain size fractions for eight samples to test for stochastic mass wasting effects on [10Be]. Our results indicate that [10Be] along the medial moraines vary systematically with time and consistently for different grain sizes. [10Be] are higher for older debris, closer to the glacier terminus, and lower for younger debris, closer to the glacier head. Computed apparent headwall erosion rates vary between ~0.6 and 10.8 mm yr−1, increasing over a maximum time span of ~200 years towards the present. As ice cover retreats, newly exposed headwall surfaces may become susceptible to enhanced weathering and erosion, expand to lower elevations, and contribute formerly shielded bedrock of likely different [10Be]. Hence, we suggest that recently lower [10Be] reflect the deglaciation of the debris source areas since the end of the Little Ice Age.

First inventory of marine debris on Alegranza, an uninhabited island in the Northeast Atlantic

Alegranza is the most northerly island of the Canary Islands archipelago, the first obstacle crossed by the Canary Current. From July to October 2020, six expeditions were led to the island to make a first inventory of marine debris and its possible source and origin. In total, 3667 objects weighing 321 kg were removed, excluding wooden objects. Of these, 97.7% were plastics, the most abundant being drink bottles (25.4%). While knowing the origin, source and pathway of debris is difficult, legible labels provided valuable information. In Alegranza, 66.7% of the legible bottle labels indicated Asian countries of manufacture, which is evidence that the source is maritime traffic in the region. The lobster trap license labels from the east coast of the United States and Canada were dated from 1999 to 2018, supporting both the exogenous origin and long lifetime in the ocean of these debris.

Some Considerations for Using Numerical Methods to Simulate Possible Debris Flows: The Case of the 2013 and 2020 Wayao Debris Flows (Sichuan, China)

Using a numerical simulation method based on physical equations to obtain the debris flow risk range is important for local-scale debris flow risk assessment. While many debris flow models have been used to reproduce processes after debris flow occurrence, their predictability in potentially catastrophic debris flow scenarios has mostly not been evaluated in detail. Two single-phase flow models and two two-phase models were used to reproduce the Wayao debris flow event in 2013. Then the Wayao debris flow event in 2020 was predicted by the four models with the same parameters in 2013. The depth distributions of the debris source and deposition fan were mapped by visual interpretation, electric resistivity surveys, field measurements, and unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) surveys. The digital elevation model (DEM), rainfall data, and other simulation parameters were collected. These models can reproduce the geometry and thickness distribution of the debris flow fan in 2013. However, the predictions of the runout range and the deposition depth are quite different from the actuality in 2020. The performance and usability of these models are compared and discussed. This could provide a reference for selecting physical models to assess debris-flow risk.

Distribution and characterization of plastic debris pollution along the Poompuhar Beach, Tamil Nadu, Southern India

The present study was carried out to determine the characteristics, distribution, and abundance of plastic debris in 25 sediment samples collected from the Poompuhar beach, southeast coast of India. The result reveals that the mean plastic debris abundance was 42 ± 27 particles/m2 dry weight (dw) (1 SD, n = 25) with higher concentrations in the river mouth. The dominant shapes in the study area were fragment (70.7%), followed by fiber (20.7%), and pellet-shaped (8.6%). The dominant colors of the plastic debris were: white-colored (47%) followed by blue (28%) and green (14%). The study further reveals that the dominant polymer type was polyethylene (PE, 63.4%), followed by nylon (PA, 16.9), polyvinyl chloride (PVC, 15.5%), polypropylene (PP, 3.1%), and polystyrene (PS, 1.1%). In the study area, the main source of plastic debris was from land-based fishing and tourism activities, and rainwater runoff from the Cauvery River.

Are agricultural plastic covers a source of plastic debris in soil? A first screening study

Abstract. Agricultural plastic covers made from polyethylene (PE) and polypropylene (PP) provide increased yields and an improved crop quality. However, such covers are suspected of partially breaking down into smaller debris and thereby contributing to soil pollution with microplastics. To scrutinize this, we randomly sampled 240 topsoil cores (0–5 cm) from eight fields which were covered with fleeces, perforated foils, and plastic mulches for less than 2 years. Samples from the field periphery (50 m perimeter) served as a reference. Visual plastic debris > 2 mm was analyzed by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. Smaller, soil-associated plastic debris was dispersed from 50 g of fine soil (≤ 2 mm) using sodium hexametaphosphate solution and density-separated with saturated NaCl solution. The collected PE, PP, and polystyrene (PS) debris was selectively dissolved in a mixture of 1,2,4-trichlorobenzene and p-xylene at 150 ∘C and quantified by pyrolysis–gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (Py-GC/MS). We counted six PE and PS fragments > 2 mm in two out of eight fields. By contrast, Py-GC/MS detected PE, PP, and PS contents in the fine soil of six fields (6 % of all samples). In three fields, PE levels of 3–35 mg kg−1 were potentially associated with the use of thinner and less durable perforated foils (40 µm thickness). This was slightly more pronounced at field edges where the plastic covers are turned and weighed down. By contrast, 50 µm thick PE films were not shown to emit any plastic debris. PP contents of 5–10 mg kg−1 were restricted to single observations in the field centers of three sites. At one site, we found expanded PS particles > 2 mm that concurred with elevated PS levels (8–19 mg kg−1) in the fine soil. Both PP and PS were distributed indistinctly across sites so that their source remained unresolved. In addition, the extent to which plastic contents of up to 7 mg kg−1 in the field periphery of some sites were attributed to wind drift from the covered fields or from external sources needs to be investigated in future studies. Our results suggest that the short-term use of thicker and more durable plastic covers should be preferred over thinner or perforated films to limit plastic emissions and accumulation in soil.

A Case Study on the Closed-Type Barrier Effect on Debris Flows at Mt. Woomyeon, Korea in 2011 via a Numerical Approach

Debris flows are capable of flowing with high velocities and causing significant economic and infrastructural damage. As a hazard mitigation measure, physical barriers are frequently installed to dissipate the energy of debris flows. However, there is a lack of understanding on how barriers affect and interact with debris-flow behavior (e.g., velocity and volume). This study investigated the changes in debris-flow characteristics depending on the installation location of barriers. Mt. Woomyeon, which is located in Seoul, Korea, was the site of a major debris-flow event in 2011. This study modeled this event using DAN3D, numerical software based on smoothed particle hydrodynamics (SPH). Our numerical approach assessed changes in debris-flow behavior, including velocity and volume, as the debris flow interacts with four closed-type barriers installed at separate points along the flow path. We used DAN3D to model the barriers via terrain elevation modifications. The presence of a closed-type barrier results in the reduction in the debris-flow velocity and volume compared to when no barrier is present. Most notably, the closer a barrier is installed to the debris source, the greater the velocity decrease. By contrast, a barrier that is constructed further downstream allows the debris flow to undergo entrainment-driven growth before confronting the barrier, resulting in a larger debris deposition volume that can often cause overflow, as shown at our particular study site. The presented results highlight the effectiveness of barriers as a method of hazard mitigation by providing insight into how such installations can alter debris-flow behavior. In addition, the findings can provide a reference for future debris-flow barrier designs, increasing the effectiveness and efficiency of such barrier systems.

A Review on the Impact of Plastic Debris on Marine Environment

Marine plastic debris is increasing day by day resulting negative impacts on the marine biodiversity. Therefore, this review article summarizes the types of marine debris, sources of marine debris, impacts of marine plastics, and global initiatives for reducing plastic pollution in the marine environment. Both macro and micro plastics are coming from two sources including land (e.g. home, industry) and ocean (e.g. fishing). Plastics pose a great threat to organisms in the marine environment, for example, through ingestion or entanglement in the plastic. For addressing the issue of plastic pollution in the marine environment governments have formulated several laws and legislation and taken different approaches as well.