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Chapter Extraction and characterization methods for microplastics from estuarine and coastal samplings – Example of the 2019 TARA expedition
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This study developed extraction methods and automated polymer characterization for microplastics collected from 9 major European rivers during the 2019 TARA expedition, finding polyethylene, polypropylene, and polystyrene as the three main polymers. The automated processing pipeline enables consistent, reproducible chemical identification of river microplastics at scale, providing a comparative framework for multi-river pollution assessment.
To investigate plastic pollution in rivers, the Tara schooner collected samples from 9 of the main European rivers from May to November 2019. The objectives of the present study are the quantification of the microplastic (MP) contamination and the identification of the chemical nature of microplastics. Thus, extraction methods and automated computer processing for polymer characterization were developed. The three main polymers found were polyethylene (PE), polypropylene (PP) and polystyrene (PS). These results must be compared to the results from other rivers to draw a consistent pattern.
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Extraction and characterization methods for microplastics from estuarine and coastal samplings – Example of the 2019 TARA expedition
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As part of the 2019 Tara European river expedition, this study developed extraction and automated analysis methods for microplastics collected from nine major European rivers. The three most common polymers identified were polyethylene, polypropylene, and polystyrene.
Mission Tara Microplastics: a holistic set of protocols and data resources for the field investigation of plastic pollution along the land-sea continuum in Europe
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Researchers present a comprehensive set of sampling protocols from the Tara Microplastics mission, which investigated plastic pollution along nine major European rivers by measuring microplastic concentrations, microbial communities, and biophysicochemical parameters along salinity gradients.
Chapter Chemical composition of microplastics floating on the Mediterranean Sea surface
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This study characterized microplastic contamination in the benthic sediments of a shallow tropical reef lagoon, finding widespread particle distribution influenced by seasonal monsoon-driven circulation patterns. Concentrations were highest in low-energy depositional zones, and polymer types reflected a mixture of locally derived and oceanic transport sources.
Source, Identification, Distribution, and Abundance of Microplastics in Rivers and Their Ecological Impacts: a Review
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This review synthesizes global data on microplastic sources, identification methods, distribution in rivers, and ecological impacts, covering studies from the past two decades. It finds MPs widespread in riverine systems (up to 120 MPs/L in water, 13,607 MPs/kg in sediment), with FTIR and Raman spectroscopy as dominant identification tools and PE/PP fibers and fragments as the most common polymer types.
Microplastics in the environment : development of a sample preparation method with further application and evaluation in fluvial and marine compartments
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This thesis developed and validated a sample preparation method for detecting microplastics in river and marine environments, then applied it to characterise contamination in both freshwater and coastal sites. The work contributes to methodological standardisation, which is a key challenge in microplastic monitoring.
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