Global Monitoring of Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs)using Beached Plastic Resin PelletsPellet Watch : Laboratory of Organic GeochemistryTokyo University of Agriculture and Technology, JAPANE-mail : shige@cc.tuat.ac.jpHideshige TAKADA, Yukie MATA, Satoshi ENDOMohamad Pauzi ZAKARIA(Universiti Putra Malaysia,, MALAYSIA)Rei YAMASHITA(Hokkaido University, JAPAN)

Self-Introduction : Hideshige TAKADA, Ph.DLaboratory of Organic Geochemistry (LOG), Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology

Plastic Resin Pellets as a Transport Medium for Toxic Chemicals in the Marine EnvironmentEnvironmental Science & Technology 2001, vol.35, 318-324

TopicsIntroduction of marine plastic resin pellets.Types of contaminants detected in marine plastic pellets.Adsorption of contaminants to plastic pellets.Relationship between contaminant concentrations in beached resin pellets and levels of marine pollution.Proposal of Pellet Watch : Monitoring of POPs using beached plastic resin pellets.

Plastic Resin Pellets1 cm

BeachRiverChemicalPlantFactoryRemeltingMoldingFinal Plastic ProductsOceanResin PelletsResin PelletsWhy Plastic Resin Pellets are found in the ocean?

Contaminants found in marine plastic resin pelletsAdditive derived chemicalsSorption from ambient seawater NonylphenolBisphenol APolychlorinated biphenyl(PCBs)DDTsPolycyclic aromatichydrocarbons (PAHs)

Nonylphenol concentrations in marine resin pelletson Japanese beachesNonylphenol (ng/g-pellets)

Contaminants found in marine plastic resin pelletsAdditive derived chemicalsSorption from ambient seawater NonylphenolBisphenol APolychlorinated biphenyl(PCBs)DDTsPolycyclic aromatichydrocarbons (PAHs)

PCB concentration (ng/g-pellets)Adsorption of PCBs onto plastic resin pellets

Monitoring ToolSorbed amountsof contaminantsin pelletsContamination in the seaApplicability of beached plastic resin pellets to monitor coastal pollution by organic micropollutantsExamination of regional difference in PCB concentrations in beached resin pellets.comparison with that in the other monitoring media

Sampling locations of beached resin pellets for monitoring of PCBs

Sorting and analysis of beached resin pellets for monitoring of PCBs

Analytical Methodby near-infrared spectroscopy (PlaScan-SH)polyethylene : PE

PCBs concentrations (ng/g-pellet)PCBs concentration in yellowing and/or fouled PE resin pellets from 47 Japanese beaches.Each pool is shown as a plot.

PCBs concentration in yellowing and/or fouled PE resin pellets from 47 Japanese beaches.Median concentrations are plotted for PE pellets.PCBs concentrations (ng/g-pellet)

(Mytilus galloprovincialis)Mussel Watch?

PCBs concentrations (ng/g-pellet)PCBs concentrations (ng/g-lipid) PCB concentrations in yellowing and/or fouled PE resin pellets from 47 beaches and in mussels from 24 coasts in Japan.

PCBs in Mussel (ng/g-lipid) Relationship between median concentrations of PCBs in yellowing and/or fouled PE resin pellets and PCBs concentrations in mussels.

ConclusionBeached resin pellets can be used for monitoring of PCBs in seawater.At least 100 pieces per location are necessary for the monitoring.Sorting of yellowing and/or fouled PE pellets is recommended for the monitoring

Laboratory of Organic Geochemistry, Dr. Hideshige Takada,Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology,Fuchu, Tokyo 183-8509, JapanAir MailMore than 100 pieces (~ 200 pieces)per one location Pellet WatchGlobal Monitoring of Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs)Using Beached Plastic Resin Pellets

More than 100 pieces (~200 pieces) per one location SortingPE, yellowing and/or fouledAnalysis for POPs (PCBs, organochlorine pesticides)more than 3 pools of 10 pelletsto exclude sporadic high concentrationby GC-ECD, GC-MSMapping POPs pollutionSending the data via Internet to the collectorsReleasing the results on webExample of expected map of PCBs in beached plastic pelletsLaboratory of Organic Geochemistry Dr. Hideshige Takada,Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology,Fuchu, Tokyo 183-8509, Japan

Advantage of Pellet WatchExtremely low cost for sampling and shippingNo special training is necessary for samplingWorld citizens can join Wide area (globe) can be monitored using minimal cost

Thank you for your attention.

Call for pellets!

Sampling locations of beached plastic resin pellets in Japan

Analytical Methodby near-infrared spectroscopy (PlaScan-SH)polyethylene : PE, polypropylene : PP, and so on

(Mytilus galloprovincialis)Mussel Watch?

Piece-by-Piece Analysis of beached pellets for PCBsPiece-by-Piece Analysis of PCBs

Piece-by-Piece variability of PCB concentrations in plastic resin pellets on a beach

Piece-by-Piece Analysis of beached pellets for PCBsPiece-by-Piece Analysis of PCBsCharacterization of individual pelletsMaterial Type (PE, PP, etc)by near-infrared spectroscopy (PlaScan-SH)WeatheringDiscoloring (Yellowing)Fouledby naked eyeBased on carbonyl index by Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscope

Effect of material type (PE vs. PP) on adsorption of PCBs on plastic resin pellets

Effect of Yellowing and Fouling on adsorption of PCBs on plastic resin pellets

Effect of Weathering on adsorption of PCBs on plastic resin pelletsWeatheredCarbonyl IndexPCB Concentration (ng/g-pellet)

Self-Introduction : Hideshige TAKADA, Ph.DLaboratory of Organic Geochemistry (LOG), Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology

Schematic illustration of adsorption experiment

PCB concentration (ng/g-pellets)Adsorption of PCBs onto plastic resin pellets

Contaminants in marine plastic resin pelletsContaminants in marine resin pelletsAccumulation of contaminants in marine resin pellets