Papers

61,005 results
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Article Tier 2

Why sampling season and location matter for monitoring micro and mesoplastics on the beach

Researchers analyzed microplastic pollution across 11 marine beaches in Latvia over four seasons from autumn 2022 to summer 2023, demonstrating how sampling season and location significantly influence measured pollution levels in the Baltic Sea region due to seasonal weather patterns and local hydrodynamics.

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

Why sampling season and location matter for monitoring micro and mesoplastics on the beach

Researchers examined microplastic and mesoplastic pollution across 11 marine beaches in Latvia over four seasons from autumn 2022 to summer 2023, investigating how sampling season and beach location affect measured contamination levels. The study found significant spatial and temporal variability in beach microplastic concentrations, demonstrating that both season and location are critical variables that must be accounted for in monitoring programme design to produce meaningful and comparable pollution assessments.

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

The baseline for micro- and mesoplastic pollution in open Baltic Sea and Gulf of Riga beach

Researchers established a baseline for microplastic and mesoplastic pollution along 24 beaches on the Latvian coastline of the Baltic Sea, using data collected with the help of up to 250 citizen science volunteers. They found that beaches on the open Baltic Sea contained more plastic particles than those in the semi-enclosed Gulf of Riga. The study analyzed wave patterns, currents, and tourism intensity as factors driving pollution distribution and highlights citizen science as a valuable tool for large-scale microplastic monitoring.

2023 Frontiers in Marine Science 8 citations
Article Tier 2

Micro- and mesoplastic pollution along the beaches in the open Baltic Sea and Gulf of Riga

Researchers conducted a baseline assessment of micro- and mesoplastic pollution along 24 beaches of the Latvian Baltic coastline with 250 citizen science volunteers, finding lower MP concentrations in the semi-closed Gulf of Riga (0.10 particles/kg dry sand) than in the open Baltic Sea (0.16 particles/kg dry sand).

2024 1 citations
Article Tier 2

Spatiotemporal Variability of Microplastics in the Eastern Baltic Sea

Researchers documented spatiotemporal variability of microplastics in the eastern Baltic Sea over five years, finding concentrations ranging from 0.01 to 2.45 particles per cubic meter with patterns linked to proximity to urban areas and riverine inputs.

2022 Frontiers in Marine Science 23 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastic concentrations in beach sediments along the German Baltic coast

Researchers measured microplastic contamination on beaches along the German Baltic coast near river estuaries and tracked seasonal variation over several months, finding contamination at all sites. The study highlights that river mouths are hotspots for microplastic deposition on coastal beaches.

2015 Marine Pollution Bulletin 500 citations
Article Tier 2

Spatio-temporal variability in the abundance and composition of beach litter and microplastics along the Baltic Sea coast of Schleswig-Holstein, Germany

Beach litter and microplastics (20-5000 microns) were co-assessed along the Baltic Sea coast of Schleswig-Holstein in spring and autumn 2018, finding no correlation between macro and microplastic abundances, with a median of 2 microplastic particles per 500 g dry sediment and six polymer types identified.

2023 Marine Pollution Bulletin 21 citations
Article Tier 2

Factors influencing the spatial and temporal distribution of microplastics at the sea surface – A year-long monitoring case study from the urban Kiel Fjord, southwest Baltic Sea

Researchers conducted a year-long monthly survey of microplastic abundance at eight sites within and around Kiel Fjord in the Baltic Sea, finding an overall low and stable load of 0.04 particles per square meter compared to other urban coastal areas. No strong relationship was found between microplastic abundance and weather parameters, though unusually high counts consistently followed rainfall and snowmelt events linked to storm drain inputs.

2020 The Science of The Total Environment 71 citations
Article Tier 2

The occurrence and sources of microplastics to Arctic and sub-Arctic beaches: human influence on local microplastic hotspots

Researchers characterized microplastic occurrence and sources at Arctic and sub-Arctic beaches, finding that proximity to human settlements creates local hotspots, while more remote beaches receive microplastics primarily through long-range oceanic transport.

2024
Article Tier 2

Abundance, Morphology and Diversity of Microplastics on Beaches in Northern Ireland

Researchers assessed microplastic abundance, morphology, color, and diversity at six beaches along Northern Ireland's north coast during summer and winter sampling, evaluating how anthropogenic pressures and seasonal transportation vectors influence microplastic concentration and composition.

2025 Ulster University Research Portal (Ulster University)
Article Tier 2

Plastic contamination of sandy beaches along the southern Baltic – a one season field survey results

Researchers surveyed microplastic and macroplastic contamination along the Polish Baltic Sea coast, finding microplastic concentrations of 118–1,382 pieces/kg in beach sand and 0.61–2.76 pieces/dm3 in coastal waters, with sub-1 mm blue fibers dominating across all sites and suggesting a common fibrous source throughout the Polish coastal zone.

2022 Oceanologia 16 citations
Article Tier 2

A large-scale investigation of microplastic contamination: Abundance and characteristics of microplastics in European beach sediment

This large-scale investigation characterized microplastic contamination across a wide geographic area, documenting abundance and polymer types and providing a baseline dataset for tracking pollution trends over time.

2017 Marine Pollution Bulletin 450 citations
Article Tier 2

Spatiotemporal distribution of microplastic debris in the surface beach sediment of the southeastern coast of bangladesh

Researchers characterized spatiotemporal distribution of microplastic debris in beach sediments along approximately 240 kilometers of Bangladesh's southeastern coastline across seven beaches, comparing monsoon and winter seasons to assess seasonal variability. The study analyzed MP abundance, polymer type, shape, size, and color to provide the first comprehensive regional baseline for this heavily populated coastal area.

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

Occurrence and spatial distribution of microplastics in the surface waters of the Baltic Sea and the Gulf of Riga

Microplastic abundance and composition were compared between the Gulf of Riga and the Eastern Gotland Basin of the Baltic Sea, with higher concentrations in the Gulf of Riga near river mouths and urban coasts, and polypropylene and polyethylene dominating the polymer composition at most sites.

2021 Marine Pollution Bulletin 50 citations
Article Tier 2

Sources and fate of microplastics in marine and beach sediments of the Southern Baltic Sea—a preliminary study

Researchers investigated microplastic sources and distribution in marine and beach sediments of the southern Baltic Sea — one of the most polluted regional seas — using density extraction and FT-IR identification. The study found widespread contamination with significant variability tied to local sources and hydrodynamic transport patterns.

2017 Environmental Science and Pollution Research 320 citations
Article Tier 2

Changes in (micro and macro) plastic pollution in the sediment of three sandy beaches in the Eastern Mediterranean Sea, in relation to seasonality, beach use and granulometry

Researchers measured plastic and microplastic pollution in sediment from three Mediterranean beaches across seasons, finding that smaller microplastics accumulate at the backshore while larger items concentrate near the waterline. Seasonal patterns and beach use intensity affected plastic abundance, with implications for beach management and cleanup strategies.

2021 Marine Pollution Bulletin 7 citations
Article Tier 2

From macro to micro: dataset on plastic contamination along and across a sandy tide-less coast (the Curonian Spit, the Baltic Sea)

This dataset documents the distribution and abundance of plastic litter across size classes — from macroplastic to microplastic — on beaches of the Curonian Spit UNESCO Reserve in the Baltic Sea. The data provide a baseline for tracking plastic pollution in a sensitive protected coastal environment.

2020 Data in Brief 20 citations
Article Tier 2

Occurrence and spatial distribution of microplastics in sediments from Norderney

Researchers surveyed sediments from Norderney in the North Sea and found widespread microplastic contamination, documenting spatial distribution patterns and particle characteristics across this tidally influenced coastal environment.

2014 Environmental Pollution 608 citations
Article Tier 2

The influence of depositional environment on the abundance of microplastic pollution on beaches in the Bristol Channel, UK

Researchers assessed the extent and variability of microplastic pollution across multiple beaches in the Bristol Channel, UK, finding that depositional environment characteristics significantly influenced the abundance and distribution of microplastic contamination in beach sand.

2021 Marine Pollution Bulletin 47 citations
Article Tier 2

Spatiotemporal distribution of microplastic debris in the surface beach sediment of the southeastern coast of Bangladesh

A spatiotemporal analysis of microplastics in beach sediments across 7 coastal sites in Bangladesh found an average concentration of 242 particles per kilogram dry weight, with significant seasonal and spatial variation driven by monsoon patterns and proximity to urban areas.

2023 Heliyon 26 citations
Article Tier 2

The effect of tourism on microplastic pollution amount in Baltic Sea Region lakes

Researchers measured microplastic pollution in surface water and sediments from 10 lakes in Latvia, Lithuania, and Poland across spring, summer, and autumn 2023, finding that tourism pressure in lake catchment areas correlates with elevated microplastic contamination levels.

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

Microplastics in river estuaries – assessing seasonality and importance of sample replicas

Researchers evaluated seasonal variability in microplastic concentrations across four major Latvian river estuaries flowing into the Gulf of Riga using Manta net trawling across four seasons, finding spring and summer concentrations up to ten times higher than autumn and winter levels and demonstrating that multiple sample replicas substantially improve data reliability.

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

Microplastics in river estuaries – assessing seasonality and importance of sample replicas

Researchers evaluated seasonal variability in microplastic concentrations across four major Latvian river estuaries flowing into the Gulf of Riga using Manta net trawling across four seasons, finding spring and summer concentrations up to ten times higher than autumn and winter levels and demonstrating that multiple sample replicas substantially improve data reliability.

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

Microplastics distribution on the beach sediment based on satellite remote sensing: A case study in Bali, Indonesia

Researchers examined how seasonal ocean currents and tourism activity influence microplastic distribution across three beaches in Bali, Indonesia, between January and July 2024. The study integrated polymer-level characterization with site-specific hydrodynamic data and satellite remote sensing to map microplastic accumulation patterns in beach sediments.

2026 Journal of Contaminant Hydrology