Abundance, Distribution, and Characterization of Microplastics on Two Recreational Beaches in Kota Kinabalu, Sabah, Malaysia

Currently, there is a lack of assessment of the level of microplastics (MPs) pollution on recreational beaches around the world. Therefore, this study was conducted to determine the current state of MP pollution on two popular recreational beaches of Kota Kinabalu, Sabah, namely, (1) Tanjung Aru Beach and (2) UMS ODEC (Outdoor Development Center) beach. MPs from the sediments were extracted using the density separation method and analyzed through a stereoscopic microscope. The overall MPs abundance, weight, size, colors, and polymer types were recorded. Tanjung Aru beach recovered higher numbers of MPs particles for all stations, with 857 MPs/kg dry sediment with a total mass concentration of 57.72 g/kg, while UMS ODEC recorded 160 MPs/kg particles with a total mass concentration of 17.96 g/kg. The maximum MPs abundance was observed in the size of