Assessment of vacuuming technology capabilities for microplastic removal in an urban coastal environment at Chessel Bay, Southampton (UK)

Crosby, Colm, Parker, Ben, Hudson, Malcolm D., Beech, Joshua and Dominguez Almela, Vicky (2026) Assessment of vacuuming technology capabilities for microplastic removal in an urban coastal environment at Chessel Bay, Southampton (UK). Regional Studies in Marine Science, 96, [104930].

Abstract

Environmental contamination by microplastics is a global and persistent threat to aquatic ecosystems and human health. Nurdles (pre-production microplastic pellets), and other plastic items, commonly enter the marine environment where they can accumulate in shoreline sediments and negatively impact key organisms. Different environmental plastic removal methods have been trialled, with varying costs and success; however, the need for novel, effective and scalable removal methods is crucial to have an appreciable impact on environmental plastic loads. This study assessed the effectiveness of Europe’s largest nurdle clean-up by measuring plastic levels before, immediately after, and five months following a four-month vacuum clean-up campaign in Chessel Bay Nature Reserve (Southampton, UK). Microplastic concentrations showed a significant overall decline across sampling periods, decreasing from pre-clean levels (~500,000 mg kg-1 dry sediment) to levels measured five months after the clean-up (~50,000 mg kg-1 dry sediment). Mean particle weight and abundance declined by 90.6% and 88.5%, respectively, with primary nurdles, fragments and foam dominating the observed morphologies. Despite spatial variations in vegetation and hydrological processes, no significant differences in particle weight or abundance were detected among sites. The present study demonstrates that beach vacuuming significantly decreased shoreline plastic levels within a vegetated saltmarsh of special conservation importance for birds and other wildlife. We recommend additional methods testing and optimisation within locations with varying features to further assess the feasibility and management value of this novel technique in remediating shoreline plastic pollution.

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Contributors

Author: Vicky Dominguez Almela

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