Occurrence of phthalate acid esters (PAEs) in the northwestern Mediterranean Sea and the Rhone River

Phthalate Contamination in Marine Mammals Off the Norwegian Coast

Microplastics in Mediterranean Seawater

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This study reviewed and characterized microplastic pollution in the Mediterranean Sea, emphasizing how the basin's semi-enclosed geography and intense anthropogenic pressures make it one of the world's most microplastic-contaminated marine environments. The Mediterranean's high microplastic burden poses direct risks to the region's fisheries and seafood-dependent populations, who face elevated dietary exposure to plastic particles and their associated chemical contaminants.

Microplastics and phthalate esters in tropical estuaries of Hainan Island, China: Spatial distribution and interrelationship patterns

Fate and Ecological Risk of Phthalate Esters in Microplastics of Wastewater in the Wastewater Treatment Plant

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This study measured phthalate ester concentrations in both the liquid and microplastic fractions throughout a wastewater treatment process, finding that di-n-butyl phthalate and benzyl butyl phthalate in effluent pose high ecological risk across fish, invertebrate, and algal trophic levels. Microplastics in wastewater act as vectors concentrating phthalate esters—known endocrine disruptors—and transporting them into receiving waterways at ecologically dangerous levels.

Toxic Substances on Microplastics and Risk Assessment of Microplastics Pollution in the Mediterranean Sea

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Researchers catalogued the toxic organic and inorganic substances that adsorb onto microplastics in the Mediterranean Sea, examining how these plastic-bound contaminants accumulate in the marine environment and pose chemical exposure risks to marine life and human consumers.