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Caspian microplastic evidence dataset
Summary
Scientists gathered and organized findings from 10+ studies on microplastic pollution in the Caspian Sea, tracking tiny plastic particles found in water, sand, riverbanks, fish, and even seals. This isn't new research on health effects—it's a big-picture collection of existing data that helps identify where more testing is needed, especially since fish from this region are eaten by people and plastic contamination could travel up the food chain. The takeaway: we still don't have complete evidence on how much plastic pollution is in this important sea, which matters for both the ecosystem and the food it produces for humans.
This dataset compiles quantitative and methodological evidence on microplastic occurrence in the Caspian Sea Basin. It includes structured data extracted from ten peer-reviewed studies published between 2020 and 2026 and one visual-microscopic pilot dataset from Azerbaijan. The records cover coastal and offshore waters, beach and bottom sediments, river estuaries, wetlands, fish and Caspian seals. The dataset contains information on study location, environmental matrix, sample size, reported abundance, measurement unit, particle morphology, colour, size, dominant polymers and analytical confirmation methods. Original measurement units are retained because sediment, water and biota data are not directly comparable. The Azerbaijan pilot observations are identified as microplastic-like anthropogenic particles because FTIR or Raman confirmation was not conducted. The dataset is intended to support systematic review, secondary-data analysis, identification of geographical and methodological research gaps, and sustainable coastal management research in the Caspian Sea Basin.