First record of pyroplastic and partially burnt plastic litter along South African shores

Abstract

As plastic pollution has accumulated in the natural environment over the last half-century, so too has the body of literature on plastic contamination assessment. Despite this growing research, new, and cryptic forms of plastic debris continue to emerge, with limited data on their composition and abundance. Among these novel pollutants is a type of marine litter derived from the burning or melting of manufactured plastics. In this study, we report for the first time the presence of burned plastic forms at selected intertidal sandy habitats along the South African coast. We examined both pyroplastics—molten items with rock-like properties due to environmental weathering—and partially burned plastics, which retain features of the original manufactured objects. Surveys conducted across 22 sites spanning over 2000 km revealed this new type of litter at 19 locations, predominantly composed of polyethylene (37 items), polyethylene terephthalate (12 items), polypropylene (5 items) and polystyrene (3 items), with an average weight of 5.4 g per item. These findings highlight the widespread presence of burned plastics in coastal environments in South Africa and emphasize the need for further research into their ecological impacts.