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Development of a Thermo Degradation Method to Assess Levels and Distribution of Microplastics in Marine Sediments and Its Application in Two Case Studies: The Northern Adriatic Sea (Italy) and Boknafjord (Norway)
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A thermo-degradation method quantifies microplastics in marine sediments by thermally decomposing polymers and measuring characteristic degradation products, validated across sediment cores from the Adriatic Sea and a Norwegian fjord. This technique provides a reproducible, instrument-accessible approach for characterizing long-term plastic accumulation buried in seafloor sediments.
Plastic waste is of increasing concern in the aquatic environment. A large portion of this plastic waste is produced onshore and reaches the marine environment, which is considered the main sink of plastic debris. Floating plastic particles accumulate in pelagic...
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Occurrence, Fate, and Biodegradation of Microplastics in Marine Environments
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Researchers reviewed how microplastics — synthetic polymer fragments smaller than 5mm — spread through marine environments, persist over long periods, and undergo partial biodegradation. The widespread distribution of these particles in oceans raises ongoing concerns about their effects on marine life and the humans who eat seafood.
Detection and Characterization of Micro- and Nanoplastic Pollutants: A Case Study of the Adriatic Sea
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Researchers collected and analyzed water samples from the Venice Lagoon and the broader Adriatic Sea to detect and characterize micro- and nanoplastic particles, linking their presence to plastic waste inputs from surrounding countries. The study demonstrates that semi-enclosed coastal seas act as accumulation zones for transboundary plastic pollution, with nanoplastics posing particular challenges for detection and health risk assessment.
Research Progress on Sources and EcologicalEffects of Microplastics in Sediments
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This review synthesizes research on the sources and ecological effects of microplastics in sediments, tracing transport pathways from terrestrial runoff through freshwater systems to marine sediment sinks and documenting impacts on benthic organisms and ecosystem function. Sediments serve as long-term reservoirs of microplastic pollution, making sediment ecology a critical lens for understanding cumulative environmental burden and food chain exposure risks posed by plastic debris.
A Review on the Fate of Microplastics: Their Degradation and Advanced Analytical Characterization
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This review covers current methods for extracting, degrading, and analytically characterizing microplastics from environmental and biological samples, highlighting major gaps in photo-oxidation, biodegradation, and photo-thermal degradation approaches. Establishing effective microplastic degradation methodologies is essential for reducing their prolonged environmental persistence and preventing ongoing bioaccumulation of plastic fragments and associated toxic chemicals in food chains.
A Review of Microplastics in Aquatic Sediments: Occurrence, Fate, Transport, and Ecological Impact
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Researchers reviewed how microplastics accumulate in aquatic sediments — particularly the ocean floor — finding that sediments act as a long-term sink where plastics alter microbial communities and harm bottom-dwelling organisms, meaning the ecological damage of plastic pollution extends far beyond what is visible at the water surface.
Research digests by email
When a large batch of papers lands in the Atlas, we read through it and send a short write-up of what stood out.