Papers

61,005 results
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Article Tier 2

Short-term tourism alters abundance, size, and composition of microplastics on sandy beaches

Researchers sampled microplastics on nine sandy beaches along the Turkish Black Sea coast before and after the tourism season and found that tourist activity significantly increased microplastic abundance, altered size distributions, and changed polymer composition. The results provide direct field evidence that recreational beach use is a local source of microplastic pollution.

2022 Environmental Pollution 58 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

Microplastic beaching dependence on sediment grain size

Researchers sampled microplastics across a Mediterranean protected beach and found that accumulation is strongly influenced by sediment grain size — fine-grained sands trap more surface microplastics due to lower infiltration capacity — while fiber shape promotes entanglement in sediment pores and proximity to tourism and port activities drives spatial pollution hotspots.

2026 Frontiers in Water
Article Tier 2

Effect of lithological properties of beach sediments on plastic pollution in Bodrum Peninsula (SW Türkiye)

Researchers examined how the lithological (rock and mineral) properties of beach sediments influence plastic pollution accumulation in Bodrum, Turkey. The study found that sediment grain size and composition affect where and how much plastic debris concentrates on beaches.

2023 Marine Pollution Bulletin 9 citations
Article Tier 2

Macro- and microplastic abundance from recreational beaches along the South Aegean Sea (Türkiye)

Researchers surveyed macro- and microplastic abundance in sand from eight recreational beaches along the South Aegean coast of Turkey, finding that fiber-shaped microplastics dominated at all sites and concentrations varied seasonally.

2023 Marine Pollution Bulletin 16 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

Microplastic pollution in Vietnamese sandy beaches: Exploring the role of beach morphodynamics and local management

Researchers compared microplastic pollution across three sandy beaches in Vietnam with different slopes and management practices. They found that beach shape and local factors like tourism intensity and proximity to pollution sources significantly influenced where and how much microplastic accumulated. The study suggests that tailoring beach management strategies to local conditions could be more effective at reducing microplastic contamination.

2025 Marine Pollution Bulletin 3 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastic contamination and characteristics spatially vary in the southern Black Sea beach sediment and sea surface water

Microplastic abundance and characteristics were assessed along the southern Black Sea coastline, finding that over 70% of particles were smaller than 2.5 mm, with average concentrations of 64 particles/kg in beach sediment and 18.68 particles/m3 in seawater, and the Marmara region showing highest pollution.

2021 Marine Pollution Bulletin 95 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastic distribution within core sediments of beach and its responses to anthropogenic activities

Researchers analyzed vertical microplastic distribution in beach sediment cores at five sites, finding that accumulation patterns in deeper layers reflect historical changes in human activities and coastal management, with anthropogenic pressure intensity correlating with microplastic depth profiles.

2021 Marine Pollution Bulletin 29 citations
Article Tier 2

Current status and comparative risk assessment of microplastic pollution in surface water and sediment from the Black Sea coastline using geospatial analysis

Researchers conducted the first comprehensive microplastic survey of Turkey's Black Sea coast, documenting a roughly 78% annual increase in surface water particle concentrations and a threefold rise at some sediment stations, with fibers and high-risk polymers like PET and PVC dominating both matrices and most sites rated high ecological risk.

2026 Journal of Hazardous Materials
Article Tier 2

Sediment grain size determines microplastic exposure landscapes for sandy beach macroinfauna

Researchers studied microplastic distribution across sandy beach zones to understand exposure landscapes for intertidal organisms. They found that sediment grain size, rather than beach zonation, was the primary factor determining microplastic abundance, providing important guidance for designing sampling surveys and assessing ecological risk from microplastic pollution on beaches.

2021 Environmental Pollution 60 citations
Article Tier 2

Relationships between sediment size distribution and microplastic abundance and characteristics along the strandline of a sandy embayment (Whitsand, Southwest England)

Researchers analyzed the relationship between sediment characteristics and microplastic distribution along a beach in southwest England. They found that microplastic abundance and type varied significantly across the strandline, with larger microplastics being more prevalent in coarser sediments. The study provides evidence that local sediment dynamics play an important role in determining where microplastics accumulate on sandy beaches.

2025 Marine Pollution Bulletin 5 citations
Article Tier 2

Assessment of microplastics distribution and stratification in the shallow marine sediments of Samos island, Eastern Mediterranean sea, Greece

Researchers surveyed microplastic distribution in shallow marine sediments around Samos Island, Greece, finding the highest concentrations on beaches and lower levels in deeper offshore sediments. The study suggests that beaches act as accumulation zones for microplastic pollution carried from land.

2019 Mediterranean Marine Science 29 citations
Article Tier 2

Factors driving the abundance and distribution of microplastics on sandy beaches in a Southwest Atlantic seaside resort

Researchers investigated factors driving microplastic abundance on sandy beaches along the Southwest Atlantic coast, finding that both natural forces like wave energy and anthropogenic inputs influenced the distribution of fiber and fragment microplastics in surface sediments.

2021 Marine Environmental Research 41 citations
Article Tier 2

Linking the Tourism Activity to the Occurrence and Distribution of Microplastics

Researchers assessed microplastic abundance, type, and spatial distribution in coastal water, sediments, and fish across three zones of Gili Trawangan, Indonesia, finding that tourism-related activities concentrated microplastics at recreational beaches with concentrations reaching 19.25 particles/L.

2025 Civil Engineering Journal 3 citations
Article Tier 2

Factors Influencing the Spatial Variation of Microplastics on High-Tidal Coastal Beaches in Korea

This study analyzed how tide level, beach zone (upper, middle, lower), and sediment grain size influence the spatial distribution of microplastics on sandy beaches in a high-tidal coastal area. The results showed that microplastics accumulate unevenly across a beach cross-section and that tidal dynamics are a key factor controlling where they deposit.

2015 Archives of Environmental Contamination and Toxicology 222 citations
Article Tier 2

Dropping the microbead: Source and sink related microplastic distribution in the Black Sea and Caspian Sea basins

Researchers assessed microplastic distribution in sediments of the Black Sea and Caspian Sea basins, finding that proximity to rivers and shorelines was a stronger predictor of microplastic concentration than water depth or sediment grain size.

2021 Marine Pollution Bulletin 47 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastic deposit predictions on sandy beaches by geotechnologies and machine learning models

Researchers used geotechnologies and machine learning models to predict microplastic deposition hotspots on sandy beaches, identifying environmental and anthropogenic variables that drive spatial variation in beach microplastic accumulation.

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

Microplastics spatiotemporal distribution and variability in marine habitats along the North-Western Mediterranean coastal waters.

Researchers mapped microplastic distribution across multiple marine habitat types along the Mediterranean coast, examining spatial and temporal variability from the water surface to the sediment. The study revealed that microplastic abundance and composition differ substantially by habitat, underscoring the need for multi-compartment monitoring.

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

Exploring the Microplastics Distribution in the Bottom Sediments of the Western Black Sea

Researchers surveyed the bottom sediments of the western Black Sea and found microplastic particles at every sampling site, with fibers the most common shape and polyethylene/polypropylene the most common polymer types. The widespread presence across the shelf zone, without a clear pattern tied to distance from shore, suggests diffuse anthropogenic inputs rather than a single point source — a finding that complicates clean-up and monitoring efforts for this semi-enclosed sea.

2024 Visnyk of Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv Geology 2 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastics in sandy beaches of Thermaikos Gulf: quantification and spatial distribution

Researchers quantified microplastic pollution along eight locations in the Thermaikos Gulf coast, finding the highest concentrations in tourist-heavy areas, with fibers more prevalent near fishing activity and the midlittoral zone showing the greatest accumulation due to hydrodynamic deposition patterns.

2025 Global NEST International Conference on Environmental Science & Technology
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

Microplastic accumulation dynamics in two Mediterranean beaches with contrasting inputs

Researchers monitored microplastic accumulation dynamics on two Mediterranean beaches with contrasting human pressures over multiple seasons, finding that beaches near urban areas accumulated MPs faster and showed greater concentration variability. Short-term accumulation events tied to storms and wind patterns were identified as key drivers of MP deposition.

2022 Journal of Sea Research 18 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastic levels on sandy beaches: Are tourism and coastal recreational activities effects really important?

Researchers assessed microplastic levels at six sites across three Argentine sandy beaches with varying tourism intensity, finding concentrations averaged 1,133 items/kg in sand and 12.7 items/m3 in seawater, dominated by PE films and PET/cotton fibers. Contrary to expectations, the highest microplastic concentrations and smallest particles were found at a low-activity 'pristine' site, suggesting river proximity and coastal drift rather than tourism are the dominant local pollution drivers.

2022 Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research)