Can anyone ID what this is, where it comes from? It is found very often in beach sand samples from northern Taiwan:
Asking for a friend who is researching Microplastic and other plastic pollution in Taiwan:
I’m sure I’ve seen one of these before, can’t remember where though. At a guess based on the size and shape I’d say part of a cheap flow reducer for a faucet or shower, could be completely wrong though!
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Hmmmm… I think too thick (high) and too much open space for a flow reducer. Thanks for the guess, though!
Perhaps some form of faucet aerator or mixer? I’d say bring it to your nearest B&Q and find the oldest looking staff member and ask them. Failing that your nearest Shui Dian store.
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Or a fishing industry supplier?
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@olm It is used for water treatment.
I sent a tweet to Dr. Alexander Kunz to let him know.
Search for ‘K1 Media’ or ‘Bio Balls’
Made from High-Density Polyethylene (HDPE).
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Thanks slawa.
This needs to be banned immediately.
This is a totally fake filtration system, probably invented you-know-where, when there are far better options that have served civilized societies for more than 5,000 years.
Rocks, sand, and charcoal, for example.
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I dug a bit who invented it and who bought them out and guess what name came up?
Wait, I know that name!
Shittiest Water Company that scammed shitload of communes in Europe they even made a movie ‘Water Makes Money’ about them:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ANsBNc3os6c
Bribed officials to privatize water treatment. Increased prices, did no maintenance. $$$ Government forced to buy back and fix broken plants, pipes because people need quality drinking water.
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On a related note, there’s a beach in France where old Garfield novelty phones from the 80’s keep washing up. It turns out they’re from a lost shipping container that got stuck in a cave that can only be accessed briefly at low tide, so they can’t get the rest of them out.
I suppose it can happen anywhere on the planet. 
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Shameful stuff.
Knew I’d seen them somewhere before! Aquariums! No wonder there are so many of them flushed into the sea.
They are filtering the ocean?
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New question from the same guys. What is this?
Note: the orange/red boxes, not the plastic spoons or anything else in the photo
Bait boxes?
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Filthy fishermen of Taiwan .