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Global measurement of surface water microplastics using a unified size threshold
Water Research2025
1 citation
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Citation count from OpenAlex, updated daily. May differ slightly from the publisher's own count.
Score: 43
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0–100 AI score estimating relevance to the microplastics field. Papers below 30 are filtered from public browse.
Xianjin An,
Xianjin An,
Long Zhu,
Long Zhu,
Xiaoli Zhao,
Xiaoli Zhao,
Xiaoli Zhao,
Xiaoli Zhao,
Xiaoli Zhao,
Xiaoli Zhao,
Xiaoli Zhao,
Xiaoli Zhao,
Long Zhu,
Long Zhu,
Lihui An
Xiaoli Zhao,
Lihui An
Xianjin An,
Xiaoli Zhao,
Long Zhu,
Long Zhu,
Xiaoli Zhao,
Xiaoli Zhao,
Xiaoli Zhao,
Xiaoli Zhao,
Xiaoli Zhao,
Xiaoli Zhao,
Xiaoli Zhao,
Xiaoli Zhao,
Xiaoli Zhao,
Xiaoli Zhao,
Xiaoli Zhao,
Xiaoli Zhao,
Xiaoli Zhao,
Xiaoli Zhao,
Yulin Kang,
Ying Yang,
Lihui An
Xiaoli Zhao,
Xiaoli Zhao,
Xiaoli Zhao,
Xiaoli Zhao,
Xiaoli Zhao,
Xiaoli Zhao,
Lihui An
Lihui An
Lihui An
Lihui An
Lihui An
Long Zhu,
Lihui An
Xiaoli Zhao,
Lihui An
Lihui An
Xiaoli Zhao,
Xiaoli Zhao,
Xiaoli Zhao,
Yulin Kang,
Long Zhu,
Xiaoli Zhao,
Lihui An
Lihui An
Yulin Kang,
Lihui An
Yulin Kang,
Xiaoli Zhao,
Lihui An
Fengchang Wu,
Xiaoli Zhao,
Fengchang Wu,
Lihui An
Lihui An
Long Zhu,
Long Zhu,
Xiaoli Zhao,
Long Zhu,
Lihui An
Xiaoli Zhao,
Xiaoli Zhao,
Xiaoli Zhao,
Xiaoli Zhao,
Fengchang Wu,
Fengchang Wu,
Fengchang Wu,
Lihui An
Lihui An
Lihui An
Lihui An
Lihui An
Lihui An
Lihui An
Lihui An
Lihui An
Lihui An
Lihui An
Lihui An
Yulin Kang,
Yulin Kang,
Lihui An
Lihui An
Fengchang Wu,
Fengchang Wu,
Fengchang Wu,
Lihui An
Xiaoli Zhao,
Fengchang Wu,
Fengchang Wu,
Yulin Kang,
Lihui An
Fengchang Wu,
Xiaoli Zhao,
Xiaoli Zhao,
Lihui An
Xiaoli Zhao,
Lihui An
Lihui An
Lihui An
Lihui An
Lihui An
Lihui An
Xiaoli Zhao,
Fengchang Wu,
Lihui An
Lihui An
Yulin Kang,
Xianjin An,
Lihui An
Lihui An
Lihui An
Lihui An
Lihui An
Xiaoli Zhao,
Fengchang Wu,
Fengchang Wu,
Fengchang Wu,
Fengchang Wu,
Lihui An
Ying Yang,
Lihui An
Fengchang Wu,
Lihui An
Fengchang Wu,
Fengchang Wu,
Fengchang Wu,
Xiaoli Zhao,
Xiaoli Zhao,
Fengchang Wu,
Fengchang Wu,
Lihui An
Lihui An
Summary
A globally deployable measurement approach was developed for monitoring microplastics on water surfaces using a unified protocol applicable across different geographic regions. Standardized global measurement methods are critical for generating comparable data needed to assess the scale of ocean plastic pollution.
Study Type
Environmental
Extensive studies have documented microplastics in global surface waters, but varying particle size thresholds compromise data reliability. To address this, we compiled microplastic abundance data and conducted a comprehensive analysis to establish a unified threshold. Our findings showed a significant correlation between microplastic abundance and population density (p < 0.05). Using a 100 μm threshold, we estimated global surface water microplastic abundance at 1.81 × 10 items/m³, notably lower than previous reports. Estuarine environments had the highest abundance (5.56 × 10 items/m³), exceeding freshwater (1.79 × 10 items/m³) and marine environments (8.47 × 10 items/m³). Additionally, surface water microplastic levels were about 13 times higher in developing countries (2.30 × 10 items/m³) compared to developed countries (1.73 × 10 items/m³). Therefore, we recommend using a 100 μm threshold for assessing microplastic pollution to enhance understanding globally while addressing the need for standardized protocols in future research.