Can you imagine beaches without litter?

Northwest Pacific Region Environmental Cooperation CenterIntroduction
In recent years, when people talked about marine litter, they paid more attention tomicroplastics, which are plastic litter with the size less than 5 millimeters long. As chemical
substances are contained in or absorbed on the surface of these small plastic pieces, it is concernedthat the chemicals might have negative influences on marine ecosystems.
So, world leaders discuss marine litter and marine microplastic pollution worldwide atmeetings to solve the problem, and many institutions and laboratories around the world aggressively
do researches on behaviors of microplastics in the marine environment and/or their threat on marine
life and human well-beings.
In addition to them, citizen participatory surveys on marine litter and marine microplastics
have many advantages. Expensive, high-tech devices are not necessary, and these surveys can beeasily continued for a longer period thanany on-site research by specialists. They also help citizens

increase their awareness on environmental conservation.
With these reasons, Toyama Prefectural Government, Japan, and the Northwest Pacific Region
Environmental Cooperation Center (NEPC) started the survey of marine litter on beaches in 1996
under international cooperation with municipalities along the coastal areas of the northwest Pacificregion. As of 2019, 38 local governments and a total of about forty thousand people (school studentsand/or NGOs) in China, Japan, Korea and Russia have joined this activity, with an additional surve yof marine microplastic litter since 2018.
The Guideline of Marine Microplastics on Beaches is developed based on the experiences andlessons learned from the over-two-decade surveys on marine litter and designed specifically for theuse of a citizen participatory survey on marine microplastic litter on the beach with simple how-tosteps.
Microplastic litter on the beach is not degraded naturally and difficult to be collected; therefore,
people are strongly recommended to change their lifestyle to reduce generation of plastic litter.
We hope this guideline can help further understanding of marine microplastic litter on thebeach and at the same time citizens can have a proactive attitude: Stop littering and Protect themarine environment.

1I

Purpose of the Survey
This survey is conducted by citizens to understand the state of microplastic litter on the beach(counting the number and checking the types) by using simple tools.
This simple procedure can be repeated at the same beach or reproduced in other beaches so as
to observe the compare the results and to observe the situation of the beaches.
Note: When the basics of the survey is well-understood, this activity can be applied to further
specified survey such as the one on seasonal changes and distribution of microplastic litter on thebeach.

IIBasic Steps of the Survey
There are three steps in this survey: designing/planning, conducting, and reporting the results.
Please work with specialists who knows about marine litter and/or the geography of the beachfor conducting a safe and effective and efficient survey.
3 Steps to conduct the survey

A. Designing/Planning the Survey- deciding the beach and the time
- preparing necessary tools- confirming the safety (taking safety measures) of participants↓B. Conducting the Survey- selecting the survey spot(s) on the beach- collecting microplastic litter- sorting microplastic litter↓

C. Reporting the Survey Result- reporting and observing the result

IIIProcedure of the Survey

A. Designing/Planning the Survey
1. Beach
It is recommended to select a sandy beach for safety reasons and easiness of litter collection.
(Following examples are the case of a sandy beach)
Please select a safe and accessible sandy beach.
When concrete tetrapod structures are installed in shallow waters near the beach to protect
coast lines eroding from the power of waves, they may influence the volume of plastic litter
washed-up on the beach. So, please try to find the beach without tetrapod structures.
2. Timing
When an annual activity is planned, conduct the survey more than twice at the same season
every year.

2Please avoid typhoon and heavy rainy season. Also, avoid the time after vacation as beachgoers may litter on the beach than usual.
Note: On some beaches, the volume of washed-up litter increases by the increased river water,which causes by seasonal winds (for example, in Japan, south wind in summer on the Pacific side,and northwest wind in winter on the side of the Sea of Japan). Th same increasing trend may
happen to microplastics, so, take this tendency into consideration when deciding the timing of thesurvey.

3. Basic Necessary Tools
In the survey, participants collect a certain amount of sand from the beach, remove all
microplastic litter from it, and count the number of microplastics by type. Tools basically used
for the survey are shown in the table below.

< Basic Tools used for the survey (1 each, except for 4 short sticks) >- tape measure (longer than 10 m)- square frame（e.g. 20cm (H) x 20cm (W) x 5cm (D)）- bar with spatula or a hard flat sheet* (about 20 cm)- small dustpan (if not available, nylon tape (1m)
- 4 short sticks (20 cm)- shovel- ruler (10cm)- sieve (5 mm and 2 mm)- tray- pail- dipper (1-metr-long) to take seawater- tweezer- magnifier- gloves for protecting hands- Survey record form
- pen and pencil- first-aid kit- bug repellent spray- eye protection- camera for recording* A bar with a spatula or a hard flat sheet attached is used to collect sand in the frame.
See the explanation in the following section and photos.

3Figure 1. Basic tools used for the survey
4. Safety Measures
Please well-prepared for the safety of participants for this outdoor survey.
- Prepare first-aid kit with basic medications- Make a list of offices/stations (fire department, hospitals, etc.) and telephone numbers ofparticipants in emergency- Buy short-term insurances- Wear comfortable clothes and (rubber) boots- Do not enter dangerous areas- Do not go close to dangerous animals/creatures and/or touch any dead creatures/animals- Wear a hat/cap in summer, take a rest occasionally, and have some drinks not to be dehydrated(Reference: “Safety Guidelines for Field Researchers” The Fieldwork Safety Committee,
The Ecological Society of Japan, 2019)

B. Conducting the Survey
1. Selecting Survey Spots- It is recommended to select a survey spot (or spots) on the high-water line as microplastics
are often contained in washed-up litter and/or seaweeds, so they are easily collected there.
Examine the high-water line carefully to select the spot(s) where microplastics are dense.
- On the other hand, microplastics are not scattered over a beach in the same density, so it isrecommended to select more than three survey spots to increase the accuracy of the survey.
Each spot should be about 10 meters away from others. It is planned to take about 45 minutes
to conduct a survey on one place, so it is better to decide the survey spots not by the number
but by the duration of time to be spent for a survey.
Note: It is said that while plastic litter break into smaller pieces while it moves back and forth on
waves between the seawater and the beach. So, it is important to understand the situation ofmicroplastics along the high-water line. Also, the survey spots at the inner area of the beach thanthe high-water line can provide information on the regular state without any seasonal and/or sudden
accidental change of the beach.

4Image of a beach with marine litter.

Litter is accumulated along the high-water line.

2. Collecting Microplasticsa) Collecting Sand
(1) At the spot decided in the previous section, set a square frame and push it to be hidden
underground. Then, take the sand in the frame with a bar with a spatula/hard flat sheet. (Seethe left and center photos below.) The depth of the sand to be taken should be decided inadvance. After collecting sand, carefully remove only natural materials such as seaweeds.
Leave microplastics in the sand at this stage.
For example, when using a 20 cm x 20 cm frame with 2.5 cm in depth, the volume ofthe sand to be taken is 1 litter. Taking the same amount of sand can make the survey resultscomparable to other data/surveys, so it is recommended to take the same amount of sandfrom the same-sized grid and depth of land at all spots in this survey.
(2) For collecting sand, using a square frame, a bar with a spatula or a hard flat sheet, and asmall dust pan is helpful. When participants cannot find these things, they can use shortsticks, a rope, a ruler and a shovel to collect sand. (See the right photo below.)< Example of Collecting Sand >(1) deciding a survey spot
and setting a square frame(1) burying the frame
underground, and collecting(2) marking the survey spotwith short sticks and a rope,

theresand with a bar with a spatulaand collecting sand with aor a hard flat sheet

shovelb) Collecting and Sorting Microplastics(1) Put the collected sand on a 5 mm sieve to sift. Put a tray under the sieve when sifting. Then,microplastics which are less than 5-mm-long are contained in the sand on the tray.
(2)-1 For Dry SandAgain, sift the sand on the tray with 2 mm sieve. Then, micro-plastic pieces are left on thesieve.
Note: For more precise collection, put the left plastic pieces in seawater. Then, they are floated5on the surface and easily collected/sorted.

(2)-2 For Wet SandWet sand cannot go through a 2 mm sieve. So, put seawater into a pail and put the sand init. Most marine microplastics are lighter than seawater, so they float on the surface after awhile. Then, pour all floating materials with the supernatant liquid into the 2 mm sieve. The
left objects on the sieve contains microplastics.
Note: Very wet sand cannot go through even a 5 mm sieve. In such a case, sieve the sand withseawater with a 5 mm sieve, then a 2 mm sieve.
(3) Remaining on the 2 mm sieve is 2 mm – 5 mm microplastics, plants and/or sands. Put
everything into a tray and collect only microplastics with a tweezer and a magnifier.
(4) Sort microplastics by color, shape and/or hardness. Please understand characteristics ofmicroplastics: artificial colors, pointing shapes, and/or had to be broken when picking up
with a tweezer.
< Collecting and Sorting Microplastics >(1) sifting with a 5 mm sieve(2)-1 sifting with a 2mm sieve(2)-2 sifting with seawater(2) collecting microplastics

63. Sorting Microplastics
Sort and count microplastics and record the results in a form. When multiple survey isconducted, also keep a record of average number of pieces in the form.
The followings are some examples of microplastics which can be recognized with naked eyes.
If it is difficult to judge the type, keep the microplastics in a plastic bag and consult a specialist.
< Microplastics which can be recognized with naked eyes>

hard plastic

sheet flake

fiber

foamed plastic

resin pellet

flattened piece

intermediatematerialofplastic

products in transparent, white or othercolors

microcapsulepresumably a hull of fertilizercontaining plastic microcapsule. It
is often found in busted shape.

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presumably artificial turf in green
or grayC. Recording the Survey Result
In Step 2, microplastics contained in beach sand are collected, sorted and counted.
Then, based on the survey result, please think of the origin and the route of marine
microplastics and actions to prevent/reduce microplastics.
The state of microplastics on the beach are easily changed by sea climate and weather. Also,
please note that microplastics are not scattered evenly on the beach, so this partial survey of thebeach cannot tell the exact conditions of the entire beach. But, by comparing the survey resultswith the past survey or surveys at other beaches, it is possible to understand the characteristicsof the surveyed beach.
Visit NPEC website and find survey results, which are conducted in the northwest Pacificregion (URL:http:// www. npec.or.jp/umigomiportal/index.html).
< Report Forms >Northwest Pacific Region Environmental Cooperation Center
5-5 Ushijimashin-machi, Toyama city, Toyama, 930-0856, JapanTEL. +81-76-445-1571
http://www.npec.or.jp

FAX. +81-76-445-1581

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