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Systematic Review ? AI-assigned paper type based on the abstract. Classification may not be perfect — flag errors using the feedback button. Tier 1 ? Systematic review or meta-analysis. Synthesizes findings across many studies. Strongest evidence. Detection Methods Environmental Sources Gut & Microbiome Marine & Wildlife Policy & Risk Sign in to save

Microplastics in sediments: A systematic review structured through reproducible analytical pipelines

Chemosphere 2026 Score: 50 ? 0–100 AI score estimating relevance to the microplastics field. Papers below 30 are filtered from public browse.
Amy Lusher Amy Lusher Amy Lusher Amy Lusher Amy Lusher Amy Lusher Amy Lusher Amy Lusher Amy Lusher Amy Lusher Amy Lusher Amy Lusher Amy Lusher Amy Lusher Amy Lusher Amy Lusher Amy Lusher Madeline Jefroy, Amy Lusher Amy Lusher Amy Lusher Amy Lusher Amy Lusher Amy Lusher Amy Lusher Amy Lusher Amy Lusher Amy Lusher Amy Lusher Amy Lusher Madeline Jefroy, Peygham Ghaffari, Amy Lusher Amy Lusher Amy Lusher Amy Lusher Amy Lusher Amy Lusher Amy Lusher Amy Lusher Amy Lusher Amy Lusher Amy Lusher Amy Lusher Amy Lusher Amy Lusher Amy Lusher Amy Lusher Amy Lusher Amy Lusher Amy Lusher Amy Lusher Amy Lusher Amy Lusher Amy Lusher Amy Lusher Amy Lusher Amy Lusher Amy Lusher Amy Lusher Amy Lusher Amy Lusher Amy Lusher Amy Lusher Amy Lusher Peygham Ghaffari, Peygham Ghaffari, Amy Lusher Bert van Bavel, Amy Lusher Bert van Bavel, Amy Lusher Bert van Bavel, Bert van Bavel, Amy Lusher Amy Lusher Amy Lusher Amy Lusher Amy Lusher Amy Lusher Amy Lusher Amy Lusher Amy Lusher Amy Lusher Amy Lusher Amy Lusher Amy Lusher Peygham Ghaffari, Amy Lusher Madeline Jefroy, Amy Lusher Madeline Jefroy, Amy Lusher Amy Lusher Amy Lusher Amy Lusher Amy Lusher Amy Lusher Amy Lusher Amy Lusher Bert van Bavel, Bert van Bavel, Amy Lusher Amy Lusher Amy Lusher Amy Lusher Amy Lusher Amy Lusher Amy Lusher Amy Lusher Amy Lusher Amy Lusher Amy Lusher Amy Lusher Amy Lusher Amy Lusher Amy Lusher Amy Lusher Amy Lusher Amy Lusher Amy Lusher Amy Lusher Amy Lusher Amy Lusher Amy Lusher Amy Lusher Amy Lusher Amy Lusher Amy Lusher Amy Lusher Amy Lusher Amy Lusher Amy Lusher Amy Lusher Amy Lusher Amy Lusher Amy Lusher Amy Lusher Amy Lusher

Summary

This systematic review of 37 studies finds that microplastic research in sediments suffers from major differences in how samples are collected and analyzed. Without standardized methods, it is difficult to compare contamination levels across locations, which limits our ability to assess how much microplastic in soil and waterbed sediments might affect ecosystems and human health.

Study Type Review

Microplastic research has expanded rapidly, yet substantial methodological variability continues to limit comparability across sediment studies. To characterize current practice and identify priority areas for harmonization, we conducted a systematic literature review (SLR) of 3290 records, from which 37 sediment-focused studies (18 marine, 19 freshwater) met the inclusion criteria. Methods were analyzed using a Reproducible Analytical Pipelines (RAPs) framework encompassing sampling, preparation, detection, and polymer identification. Sampling approaches varied widely: grab samplers dominated (55% of marine and 42% of freshwater studies), while corers (28% and 16%) and manual tools (5% and 16%) were less frequently used. Lower size thresholds spanned <0.1-1mm, with <0.1 mm most common in marine studies (45%) and less so in freshwater systems (30%). Density separation was nearly universal (36 of 37 studies), with sodium chloride used in over 70% of workflows despite its limited ability to recover high-density polymers; denser media were employed in fewer than 25% of studies. Oxidative digestion was the dominant method for removing organic matter (81%). Polymer confirmation relied overwhelmingly on μFTIR (35 studies), whereas Raman spectroscopy appeared in only four studies, primarily for particles <0.1mm. Overall, the SLR reveals partial methodological convergence but persistent divergence in key analytical parameters, highlighting clear priorities for future harmonization efforts.

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