Quantification of ocean microplastic fragmentation processes in the Sea of Japan using a combination of field observations and numerical particle tracking model experiments

Abstract

This study estimated the fragmentation rate of microplastics (MiPs) in the Sea of Japan by analyzing MiP size over time following their generation from macroplastics (MaPs). A 5-year particle-tracking model was used to simulate the MaP and MiP motions driven by ocean currents, Stokes drift, the windage of MaPs, beaching, re-drifting, the conversion process from MaPs to MiPs, and the removal of MiPs from the upper ocean. MiP sizes decreased downstream in the Tsushima Current flowing northeastward. The highest correlation between MiP size and elapsed time occurred in the simulation where MiP fragmentation also occurred in the ocean, at 20 % of the rate on beaches. The apparent fragmentation rate in nature was estimated to approximately 1.0 mm/100 days. This study demonstrated that incorporating spatiotemporal information from the simulation into observed size results could further our understanding of fragmentation of MiPs degraded in marine environments.