A Comprehensive Review on Microplastic in Beach Sediment

2025-10-11T10:30:48+08:00

Microplastics (MPs) have been recognized as one of the biggest environmental challenges in marine ecosystems. Despite the extensive existing research knowledge on MPs, the origin, transport and deposition of MPs in beach sediment is still unclear. This review highlights the global occurrence, spatiotemporal distribution, sources, transport and accumulation of MPs on about 1700 world’s beaches, exploring the existing connotions on the influence of external mechanisms, internal mechanisms and local beach characteristics on MPs found in beach sediment. This review further highlights the challenges and future research potential of MPs in beach sediment. The review revealed 59.4% of studies were using "n/kg" as a unit, 30.8% using "n/m²" as a unit, and 9.8% using both units. Most paper on beach microplastics are published from Asia (45.1%) with India having a global percentage of 13.8. The summary of this review indicated that the distribution of microplactic abundance in beach sediment <100 n/kg (39.5%) and 100–500 n/kg (36.4%), 1000–5000 n/kg (12.3%), 500–1000 n/kg (6.8%) and >5000 n/kg (4.9%) with beaches in Africa, Asia, Europe and North America recorded high MP abundance (>1000 n/kg). This review clarifies the need to improve the research knowledge of MPs in beach sediment by creating a global database to access the existing threat; using a standard measuring method and unit for identification of results. Ultimately, we suggest the implementation of holistic management strategy for MP pollution in beach sediment, most importantly, by focusing on the elimination of fibre to drastically reduce the MP pollution.

Single Borehole Detection of Geological Anomalies in Coal Mine Using Impulse Radar

2025-10-30T15:46:56+08:00

Geological anomalies, including faults, fractured zones, and collapse pillars, pose serious threats to mining safety by increasing the risk of water inrush and roof collapse. To enable accurate ahead-of-face detection, this paper presents the development and practical application of a single-borehole impulse radar (BHR) system specifically designed for underground coal mine environments. The system incorporates a compact, explosion-proof probe constructed from fiberglass, with a diameter of 40 mm, making it suitable for deployment in confined boreholes. By leveraging wideband impulse signals, the BHR achieves high-resolution subsurface imaging while maintaining low power consumption and rapid data acquisition rates. The system’s detection performance was first verified through controlled ground experiments in a railway tunnel, where it accurately identified karst structures—a finding later confirmed by subsequent excavation. Field applications at Wangzhuang and Madaotou coal mines demonstrated its effectiveness in identifying fracture zones, water-rich strata, and fault systems. Repeated measurements across multiple boreholes demonstrated high detection stability and strong consistency with actual exposed geological conditions. Although operational challenges such as signal transmission in narrow spaces and high sampling rate requirements persist, the proposed system successfully balances imaging resolution, operational portability, and real-time processing capability. The results affirm the significant potential of impulse borehole radar for enhancing geological forecasting and improving safety in underground coal mining operations.

Journal of Environmental & Earth Sciences

A Comprehensive Review on Microplastic in Beach Sediment

Single Borehole Detection of Geological Anomalies in Coal Mine Using Impulse Radar