The characterization of pyroplastics on the Sea of Japan coastline

Recent reports have suggested the widespread distribution of a novel form of plastic waste on marine shorelines; plastics seemingly originating from the burning and melting of plastic waste. These plastics, termed pyroplastics, were collected in the intertidal zone of beaches on the Sea of Japan coastline and analyzed for their composition. Despite their unknown origins, these pyroplastics are a ubiquitous presence along the Sea of Japan coast. A total of 146 pyroplastics were found with the highest occurring at Koura, the enclosed bay site, with 2.1 pyroplastics/m² and the lowest at Chirihama, the site furthest north, with 0.3 pyroplastics/m². Among these were mixtures of plastic polymer types, which included the most commonly used plastics: polyethylene, polypropylene and polystyrene. Most samples did not show signs of colonization by marine organisms, suggesting a greater likelihood of being produced and transported locally. Still, there are various aspects to these novel plastic types that are unknown, specifically with respect to their toxicity and their propensity to fragment into microplastics.