Papers

61,005 results
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Article Tier 2

Pollution by microplastic in highly crowded sandy beaches in Lima, Peru

Researchers surveyed microplastic contamination at three heavily visited sandy beaches in Lima, Peru, finding fragments and fibers of polypropylene and polyethylene as the most common particles, with abundance varying by season and beach characteristics.

2023 Environmental Quality Management 7 citations
Article Tier 2

Análisis de la situación actual de residuos marinos en Costa Rica

This study analyzed the current state of marine debris in Costa Rica, documenting plastic waste distribution along Pacific and Caribbean coasts and identifying key sources of marine pollution threatening coastal ecosystems.

2023 Revista Tecnología en Marcha
Article Tier 2

Plastic litter pollution along sandy beaches in the Caribbean and Pacific coast of Colombia

Researchers surveyed plastic litter pollution on 43 beaches along Colombia's Caribbean and Pacific coasts, documenting the types and quantities present and calling for locally adapted management strategies.

2020 Environmental Pollution 116 citations
Article Tier 2

Citizen Science for Assessment of Microplastics on Beaches: A Case Study in Mexico

Researchers used a citizen science approach involving 26 volunteers to assess microplastic abundance and type on Mexican beaches, providing broad geographic coverage at lower cost than traditional monitoring. Participants used standardized materials and training to collect and identify microplastics, generating a representative database that also raised public awareness of coastal plastic pollution.

2025 Microplastics
Article Tier 2

The sampling and analysis of coastal microplastic and mesoplastic: Development of a citizen science approach

This study designed, developed, and tested a citizen science approach to microplastic and mesoplastic data collection on coastal beaches to address scale and coverage limitations of traditional research methods. Results showed non-expert participants could collect comparable data to researchers, expanding monitoring capacity across undersampled coastlines.

2024 Journal of Coastal Conservation 4 citations
Article Tier 2

Using citizen science to understand floating plastic debris distribution and abundance: A case study from the North Cornish coast (United Kingdom).

This citizen science study used a standardized methodology to monitor floating plastic debris off the Cornish coast of the UK, finding microplastic concentrations comparable to or higher than other European coastal regions. The study demonstrates that citizen science can generate useful, standardized data on plastic pollution in coastal waters.

2023 Marine pollution bulletin
Article Tier 2

Evaluación de los residuos sólidos encontrados en playas de la Costa Verde, Lima, Perú durante el invierno de 2021

A survey of solid waste on four beaches of Lima, Peru during winter 2021 documented the types and quantities of litter present. The findings reveal the scale of anthropogenic waste on these urban beaches and inform local waste management strategies.

2023 South Sustainability 2 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplásticos en tres playas del corredor turístico del norte, Piura, Perú

Researchers estimated the abundance, characteristics, and types of microplastics on three beaches along the northern tourist corridor of Piura, Peru, characterising the size, colour, and polymer types of particles found in beach sediments to assess contamination levels in this coastal region.

2025
Article Tier 2

Microplastic distribution and composition on two Galápagos island beaches, Ecuador: Verifying the use of citizen science derived data in long-term monitoring

Researchers validated a citizen science methodology for monitoring visible microplastic contamination on Galapagos island beaches using standardized quadrat sampling, comparing citizen-generated data with expert surveys over multiple years. The approach was found to produce reliable data for long-term monitoring while reducing costs, supporting its use in logistically challenging remote locations.

2022 Environmental Pollution 53 citations
Article Tier 2

First approach to microplastics occurrence in sandy beaches in the province of Islay (Arequipa), southern Peru

Researchers conducted the first assessment of microplastic occurrence on five sandy beaches in the province of Islay in southern Peru, sampling to 5 cm depth and finding 304 particles total with average densities of 1–4 particles/m2. Beaches adjacent to the Tambo River estuary showed the highest microplastic concentrations, suggesting river transport as a significant delivery pathway to coastal environments.

2023 Revista Internacional de Contaminación Ambiental 4 citations
Article Tier 2

Ocean-based sources of plastic pollution: An overview of the main marine activities in the Peruvian EEZ.

This study used material flow analysis to quantify the plastic waste entering the ocean from Peruvian fishing, shipping, and aquaculture activities, finding the fishing industry as the largest marine-based source. The results highlight the importance of ocean-based sources of plastic pollution alongside the better-studied land-based pathways.

2023 Marine pollution bulletin
Article Tier 2

Microplastics on Santos Beach: Sources of Pollution, Waste Characteristics and Possible Collection Solutions

This Brazilian study mapped and characterized microplastic contamination on Santos beach near submarine sewage outfalls and storm drains, finding plastic pollution hotspots linked to coastal discharge infrastructure. The authors estimated that ~60 tons of solid waste enter the sea daily in the region and identified possible collection solutions.

2025 Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research)
Article Tier 2

Tracking microplastics and the associated ecological risk in the southwestern Pacific Ocean

Researchers assessed microplastic abundance and composition along an approximately 1,000 km oceanographic transect of the southwestern Pacific coast of Chile, sampling at six river mouths and characterizing the ecological risk associated with plastic pollution entering coastal marine environments.

2025 Marine Pollution Bulletin
Article Tier 2

Occurrence and Distribution of Microplastics on the Beaches of Limón on the Southern Caribbean Coast of Costa Rica

Microplastic occurrence and distribution were characterized across 70 km of Caribbean coastline beaches in Limón, Costa Rica, spanning protected natural areas, agricultural zones, and urban and port areas. MPs were present at all sites, with higher concentrations near urban and port areas, highlighting land-based human activity as the primary local source.

2024 Micro 5 citations
Article Tier 2

INVEMAR produce scientific information with the implementation of REMARCO protocols for monitoring microplastics in Colombia

This study describes the implementation of REMARCO standardized protocols by INVEMAR to monitor microplastics along Colombia's Caribbean and Pacific coastlines, addressing a context where approximately 65% of plastic waste is disposed of in open dumps or natural water bodies, and generating baseline scientific data on microplastic accumulation in coastal and marine ecosystems.

2025
Article Tier 2

Abundance and distribution of microplastics on sandy beaches of Lima, Peru

This survey assessed microplastic pollution on four popular sandy beaches of Lima, Peru, sampling both intertidal and supralittoral zones. Microplastics were found at all sites, with fragments being the most common morphology, and concentrations varying across beach zones and locations.

2020 Marine Pollution Bulletin 147 citations
Article Tier 2

Occurrence of personal protective equipment (PPE) associated with the COVID-19 pandemic along the coast of Lima, Peru

Researchers surveyed COVID-19 personal protective equipment (PPE) along Lima, Peru's coastline over 12 weeks, finding 138 PPE items across 11 beaches and identifying them as a new source of plastic pollution and potential microplastic generation.

2021 The Science of The Total Environment 215 citations
Article Tier 2

The potential contribution of citizen science data in the study of coastal microplastic and mesoplastic distributions

Researchers analyzed citizen science data from the Big Microplastic Survey to assess the potential contribution of volunteer-collected observations to understanding coastal microplastic and mesoplastic distribution patterns, evaluating data quality and spatial coverage relative to conventional scientific monitoring.

2025 Environmental Monitoring and Assessment
Article Tier 2

Rastreando microplásticos em águas costeiras: um estudo de fatores ambientais usando canoa havaiana

Researchers tracked microplastic (MP) pollution in coastal waters using Hawaiian outrigger canoes, studying how environmental factors influence MP distribution in zones where terrestrial and marine sources intensely interact. The work aimed to better understand MP dynamics in biodiverse coastal ecosystems subject to tourism, fishing, and navigation.

2025 LA Referencia (Red Federada de Repositorios Institucionales de Publicaciones Científicas)
Article Tier 2

Presencia de microplásticos en cuatro playas arenosas de Perú

Microplastic fragments were found on four sandy beaches along the Peruvian coast, with the most contaminated beach having over 500 fragments per square meter. The findings document microplastic contamination in South American Pacific coastal environments where little prior data existed.

2017 Revista Peruana de Biología 52 citations
Article Tier 2

Tipos, abundancia y contribución de las ciudades costeras a la distribución en sistemas de surgencia en las aguas superficiales costeras del Pacífico Sur del norte de Chile

A survey of coastal Pacific waters in northern Chile found microplastics at high densities — over 6 million items per square kilometer — with fragments being the most common type. Coastal cities, particularly Arica, were identified as major contributors to plastic pollution in nearby upwelling zones.

2019
Article Tier 2

The sink is leaking! – Enabling citizen science for global mapping of microplastic leakage from coastal soils

Researchers designed a citizen science methodology to enable global mapping of microplastic leakage from coastal soils, providing standardized tools for volunteers to sample and quantify how coastal soil microplastic sinks release particles to marine environments through abiotic and biotic decomposition of macroplastics.

2024 Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research)
Article Tier 2

Sources of microplastics pollution in the marine environment: Importance of wastewater treatment plant and coastal landfill

This study assessed a coastal municipal wastewater treatment plant and a nearby beach landfill as sources of microplastic pollution in the marine environment, finding both contributed significantly to coastal contamination. The study supports multi-source pollution control strategies for coastal areas where both wastewater infrastructure and solid waste disposal are inadequate.

2019 Marine Pollution Bulletin 300 citations
Article Tier 2

Micro- and mesoplastic pollution along the coast of Peru

Micro- and mesoplastic debris abundance along the Peruvian coast was driven more by specific source locations than by season, with strong correlation between meso- and microplastic concentrations suggesting ongoing fragmentation, and low concentrations of Cu and Pb heavy metals detected on mesoplastic surfaces.

2023 Environmental Science and Pollution Research 21 citations