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Microplastics from degrading foam docks can enter nearby sediment quickly. For example, the “Pine Island dock” (see photo) was towed to Stoney Point Marina in summer 2023, and sediment testing in that area suggests that foam particles have accumulated in the sediment in less than two years.
Why is this question relevant? In the past 5 years since Bill 228 was passed (which made it illegal to build or repair unencapsulated foam docks), three new polystyrene foam docks have been built on Kosh.
How fast does the pollution disappear? Once the dock is removed, local currents can carry floating particles away. While microplastics in the sediment tend to remain, some redistribution can still occur from the upper layers of sediment.
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