Abundance and characterization of microplastics on sandy beaches along the coastal area of Belize

Microplastics (MPs) are a major anthropogenic pollutant around the globe and are of great concern due to the devastating impacts it has on the natural environment including beaches. Quantifying and determining the current status of MPs pollution in beaches around Central America and the Caribbean region is the first step in the identification of mitigation measures to address and reduce this type of pollution. Therefore, this study aims to address this critical knowledge gap by determining the distribution and characterization of MPs along four sandy beaches within the coastal area of Belize. The results show an overall mean MPs concentration of 10.9 ± 2.4 MPs m^-2 or 0.7 ± 0.1 MPs kg^-1 along the coastal area of Belize. The highest concentration of MPs was observed in the Orchid Bay beach with 21.3 ± 7.1 MPs m^-2 or 1.3 ± 0.4 MPs kg^-1 of sand and Hopkins beach with 18.1 ± 4.4 MPs m^-2 or 1.1 ± 0.43 MPs kg^-1 of sand. Whereas, the lowest concentration observed was in Punta Negra and South Sibun beach with 2.1 ± 1.5 MPs m^-2 or 0.1 ± 0.1MPs kg^-1 of sand respectively. The results obtained in this study will serve as baseline data and will help to support policymakers in developing proactive rather than reactive approaches to address plastic pollution in Belize. In addition, it is strongly recommended to consider the selected sites for long-term monitoring of plastic pollution along the coastal areas of Belize.