title: International survey on the distribution of stranded and buried litter on beaches along the Sea of Japan.
abstract: The distribution and abundance of marine litter on 26 beaches along the Sea of Japan were investigated from September to November 2000. The mean concentration of stranded litter in Japan and Russia was 2144 and 1344 g/100 m(2), respectively. The mean number of pieces of stranded litter in Japan and Russia was 341 and 20.7/100 m(2), respectively. The most abundant type of stranded litter was plastic, which accounted for 40-80 % of the total items in terms of weight and number. The mean concentration of buried litter in Japan and Russia was 9.03 and 2.70 g/m(2), respectively. The total weight ratio of buried litter to stranded litter in the samples was 0.65, suggesting the significance of buried litter when evaluating the status of litter on beaches. Resin pellets were found on 12 Japanese beaches, but on none of the Russian beaches.
authors.affiliation: College of Technology, Toyama Prefectural University, 5180 Kurokawa, Kosugi-machi, Imizu-Gun, Toyama 939-0398, Japan. kusui@pu-toyama.ac.jp
authors.forename: Takashi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kusui
authors.forename: Michio
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Noda
mesh_terms: D003625:Data Collection; D004784:Environmental Monitoring; D019015:Geologic Sediments; D007564:Japan; D010969:Plastics; D012037:Refuse Disposal; D012426:Russia
chemical_list: D010969:Plastics