Papers

61,005 results
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Article Tier 2

Microplastics in distal sediments from the mouth of the Amazon River

Researchers conducted a preliminary assessment of microplastic distribution in distal marine sediments near the mouth of the Amazon River, examining how the Amazon plume — a major source of plastic additives in the tropical North Atlantic — contributes to regional microplastic deposition patterns.

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

Microplastics in sediment samples from the mouth of the Amazon River

Researchers detected and characterized microplastics in sediment samples from the mouth of the Amazon River, collecting ten samples across the North and South Channels in October to address a significant data gap in Brazilian continental aquatic environments.

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

Preliminary Assessment of Plastic Litter and Microplastic Contamination in Freshwater Depositional Areas: The Case Study of Puerto Misahualli, Ecuadorian Amazonia

Researchers conducted a preliminary assessment of plastic litter and microplastics in sediments at a riverine depositional area in the Ecuadorian Amazon, finding low-density polyethylene bags as the dominant macroplastic and documenting microplastic presence in an upper Amazon basin location.

2021 Bulletin of Environmental Contamination and Toxicology 30 citations
Article Tier 2

Widespread microplastics distribution at an Amazon macrotidal sandy beach

Researchers found widespread microplastic contamination at a macrotidal sandy beach on the Amazon coast of Brazil, detecting an average of 492.5 particles per square meter with fibers dominating across three depth strata down to 60 cm.

2019 Marine Pollution Bulletin 75 citations
Article Tier 2

First assessment of microplastic and artificial microfiber contamination in surface waters of the Amazon Continental Shelf

Researchers characterized microplastics in surface water of the Amazon Continental Shelf for the first time, finding particles at all 57 sampling sites with higher concentrations during the rainy season. Polyamide, polyurethane, and acrylonitrile butadiene styrene were the most common polymer types, and concentrations were highest near river mouths and coastal cities.

2022 The Science of The Total Environment 60 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastics and the Amazon: from the Rivers to the Estuary

This review described the main routes of microplastic input into Amazonian rivers and how local environmental characteristics affect the transformation and transport of plastics through the Amazon basin to the estuary.

2023 Química Nova 11 citations
Article Tier 2

First evidence of microplastic ingestion by fishes from the Amazon River estuary

Researchers documented the first evidence of microplastic ingestion by fish in the Amazon River estuary, finding plastic particles — predominantly polyamide and polyethylene pellets — in 30% of 189 specimens across 14 species, with larger fish containing more particles, indicating widespread contamination extending into one of the world's most biodiverse river systems.

2018 Marine Pollution Bulletin 317 citations
Article Tier 2

Comprehensive risk assessment of microplastics in tidal channel sediments in amazonian mangroves (northern Brazil)

Researchers assessed microplastic pollution in mangrove sediments along an estuary in the Brazilian Amazon, finding contamination at all nine sampling sites with an average of 433 particles per kilogram. While the contamination was classified as low-level, the presence of microplastics in this remote Amazonian ecosystem shows the global reach of plastic pollution. Mangroves are critical nursery habitats for fish and shellfish, so contamination here could affect seafood safety for local communities.

2024 Journal of Environmental Management 16 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastics and microfibers in the Guajará Bay, Amazon delta: Potential sources and variability

This study assessed microplastic and microfiber distribution in Guajará Bay at the mouth of the Amazon delta, finding concentrations ranging widely but clustering near the urbanized bank of the bay. Most particles were anthropogenic cellulose fibers, with PET and polyamide as the dominant synthetic polymers, and levels were highest close to the city of Belém. The Amazon's enormous flow to the Atlantic makes understanding plastic sources and transport here critical for estimating global ocean microplastic inputs.

2023 Marine Pollution Bulletin 13 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastics in sediment samples from the mouth of the Amazon River

Researchers detected and characterized microplastics in sediment samples from the mouth of the Amazon River, collecting ten samples across the North and South channels in October 2021 and analyzing them with micro-FTIR and micro-Raman spectroscopy. They found microplastic concentrations ranging from 99 to 894 particles per 100 g dry weight sediment, with considerable variation in morphological dimensions and chemical composition between sampling locations.

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

Microplastic pollution in Brazil's coastal marine surface waters: The first macroregional baseline from the global south

Researchers conducted the largest microplastic survey in the Global South, sampling 4,134 surface water sites across 7,500 km of Brazilian coastline, finding the highest concentrations in the Eastern Coastline (16.87 MPs/L) and lowest in the Amazonian Equatorial region (1.29 MPs/L), with spatial patterns driven by hydrodynamic conditions, salinity, proximity to sewage, and anthropogenic inputs.

2025 Marine Pollution Bulletin
Article Tier 2

Microplastics in sediments from Amazon rivers, Brazil

Microplastics were detected in river sediments throughout the Amazon Basin near Manaus, Brazil, at concentrations up to 8,178 particles per kilogram of dry sediment, with the highest levels near shallow, slow-moving sections of the Negro River adjacent to the city. This is the first documentation of widespread microplastic contamination in the Amazon river system.

2020 The Science of The Total Environment 212 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastics in coastal and marine environments of the western tropical and sub-tropical Atlantic Ocean

Microplastics were documented throughout coastal and marine environments across the western tropical and subtropical Atlantic Ocean, including both surface waters and sediments. The review confirms that plastic pollution has spread widely through this large and ecologically important ocean region, with uncertain but potentially significant consequences for marine life and human communities.

2015 Environmental Science Processes & Impacts 93 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastic Identification and Density In Coastal Sediments of Manado Bay

Researchers identified and quantified microplastics in coastal sediments of Manado Bay, documenting the density and polymer types of plastic particles accumulating in the marine environment from anthropogenic activities.

2025 JURNAL PESISIR DAN LAUT TROPIS
Article Tier 2

Large-scale monitoring and risk assessment of microplastics in the Amazon River

Researchers conducted the largest microplastic monitoring study in the Amazon River, sampling 40 sites across 1,500 kilometers. Microplastics were found everywhere, with urban streams near cities showing concentrations up to 1,000 times higher than the main river. This study confirms that even remote freshwater ecosystems like the Amazon are contaminated with microplastics, which could affect the fish and water that local communities depend on.

2023 Water Research 112 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastics in the Amazon biome: State of the art and future priorities

This review examines microplastic pollution in the Amazon region and finds contamination levels comparable to heavily polluted areas worldwide. Poor sanitation is a major source, with fibers being the most common particle type found in water, sediment, and wildlife. Despite the Amazon's global ecological importance, research on microplastics there has been very limited, and the authors call for urgent expansion of scientific monitoring.

2024 Heliyon 20 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastics pollution in the South American Pantanal

Researchers sampled microplastics in the affluents and floodplains of the South American Pantanal wetland ecosystem, documenting this emerging threat to one of the world's largest tropical floodplains near urban pollution sources and in remote lowland areas.

2021 Case Studies in Chemical and Environmental Engineering 31 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastics in sediments of the Pantanal Wetlands, Brazil

Researchers investigated microplastic concentrations, sizes, and distribution factors in fluvial sediments of the Cuiabá River within Brazil's Pantanal Wetlands — the world's largest flooded savanna — finding microplastics present and identifying hydrological and anthropogenic variables influencing their spatial distribution.

2022 Frontiers in Environmental Science 19 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastic distribution and risk assessment in estuarine systems influenced by traditional villages and artisanal fishery activities

Researchers mapped microplastic pollution in estuaries along the Amazon coast and found that areas with more people and fishing activity had the highest concentrations. Most of the microplastics were tiny fibers, likely from synthetic clothing and fishing gear. While risk levels were currently rated low, the study shows that even remote coastal communities are contributing to microplastic buildup in sensitive ecosystems.

2024 Scientific Reports 19 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastic in the sediments of a highly eutrophic tropical estuary

Researchers quantified and characterized microplastics in sublittoral sediments of Guanabara Bay, a highly eutrophic tropical estuary in Brazil, finding widespread contamination with fibers and fragments at concentrations reflecting the bay's heavy urbanization and poor waste management.

2019 Marine Pollution Bulletin 106 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastics in fishes in amazon riverine beaches: Influence of feeding mode and distance to urban settlements

Researchers found microplastics in the digestive tracts of 29 fish species from Amazon riverine beaches, with contamination levels influenced by fish feeding mode and distance to urban settlements within a protected area.

2022 The Science of The Total Environment 28 citations
Article Tier 2

Zooplankton exposure to microplastic contamination in a estuarine plume-influenced region, in Northeast Brazil

Researchers examined microplastic contamination in estuarine plume waters off the coast of northeastern Brazil and its relationship with zooplankton. The study found significantly higher microplastic abundance during the high rainfall season, with fibers and fragments being the dominant types, and elevated concentrations in river plume areas compared to reef-adjacent waters, indicating land-based sources as major contributors.

2023 Environmental Pollution 18 citations
Article Tier 2

The distribution of microplastics in the surface layer of the Atlantic Ocean from the subtropics to the equator according to visual analysis

This study measured plastic particle contamination in Atlantic Ocean surface water from subtropical to equatorial latitudes, finding microplastics at nearly every sampling site. The results reinforce that microplastic pollution is pervasive throughout the open ocean, far from coastal pollution sources.

2020 Marine Pollution Bulletin 51 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastics in the tropical Northwestern Pacific Ocean and the Indonesian seas

Researchers measured microplastic abundance in the tropical Northwestern Pacific and Indonesian seas, finding very low concentrations in open-ocean currents but an order of magnitude higher levels in the Indonesian straits due to river runoff and current convergence patterns.

2023 Journal of Sea Research 50 citations