http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s12601-014-0015-8

Yong Chang Jang, Jongmyoung Lee, Sunwook Hong, Jong Su Lee, Won Joon
Shim, Young Kyoung Song
Sources of plastic marine debris on beaches of Korea: More from the
ocean than the land
Ocean Science Journal
June 2014, Volume 49, Issue 2, pp 151-162

Abstract
Reduction of marine debris requires knowledge of its sources. Sources of
plastic marine debris found on six beaches of Korea were estimated.
Samples larger than 25 mm were collected from 10 quadrats of 5 × 5 m for
each beach in spring 2013. The total 752 items (12,255 g) of debris
comprised fiber and fabric (415 items, 6,909 g), hard plastic (120
items, 4,316 g), styrofoam (93 items, 306 g), film (83 items, 464 g),
foamed plastic other than styrofoam (21 items, 56 g), and other polymer
(20 items, 204 g). With the probable sources allocated to each of 55
debris types, the source of 56% of all the collected debris appeared to
be oceanbased and 44% was land-based. Priorities of policy measures to
reduce marine debris should be different from regions to regions as the
main sources of debris may differ.