First report on the detection of microplastics from the feathers of black-tailed gulls in South Korea

Abstract

In this study, microplastics, including polyethylene (PE), polyethylene terephthalate (PET), polypropylene (PP), and polystyrene (PS), adhering to the feathers of all tracked black-tailed gull individuals were studied. PE was detected in the highest number of feathers (n = 26, 35.6 %), followed by PP (n = 21, 28.8 %), PET and other microplastics (n = 16, 21.9 %), and PS (n = 10, 13.7 %). Furthermore, plastic particles of size 50-100 μm were the most common (n = 33, 45.1 %), followed by ≤50 (n = 21, 28.8 %), 100-150 (n = 11, 15.1 %), ≥200 (n = 7, 9.6 %), and 150-200 μm (n = 1, 1.4 %). Microplastic levels did not differ considerably between the Dokdo and Ulleungdo populations. As black-tailed gulls spend >95 % of their time in coastal areas, coastal pollution caused by oil spills and increasing microplastic levels could lead to physical problems, such as the adherence of oil and microplastics onto feathers.

Keywords: Breeding colony; Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy; GPS tracking; Larus crassirostris; Particle size; Seabirds.