Papers

61,005 results
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Article Tier 2

Characteristics and ecological risks of microplastic contamination from aquaculture ponds located on South Yellow Sea Mudflat

Researchers characterized microplastic contamination across aquaculture ponds on the South Yellow Sea mudflat, finding concentrations of 32 items/L in water and 253 items/kg in sediment, with higher levels in crab and shrimp ponds compared to fish ponds. Ecological risk assessment revealed pollution load indices exceeding 1 and a polymer risk index corresponding to risk level III, driven primarily by the high hazard score of polyvinyl chloride.

2025 Environmental Monitoring and Assessment
Article Tier 2

Microplastic pollution in North Yellow Sea, China: Observations on occurrence, distribution and identification

Researchers surveyed microplastic pollution across the North Yellow Sea, documenting their occurrence, distribution, and characteristics, and finding widespread contamination with higher concentrations in coastal areas and near river inputs.

2018 The Science of The Total Environment 412 citations
Article Tier 2

High levels of microplastic pollution in the sediments and benthic organisms of the South Yellow Sea, China

High concentrations of microplastics were found in both sediments and benthic organisms from the South Yellow Sea, with fibers as the dominant type and polymer compositions reflecting regional land-based and marine sources. The study identifies benthic ecosystems of the South Yellow Sea as significantly impacted by microplastic pollution, with potential risks to bottom-dwelling communities.

2018 The Science of The Total Environment 397 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastic pollution in the surface sediments collected from Sishili Bay, North Yellow Sea, China

Researchers investigated microplastic pollution in surface sediments from 28 stations in Sishili Bay in the North Yellow Sea, China, finding an average abundance of 499.76 items per kilogram dry weight with fibers dominating and eight polymer types identified including rayon and polyester.

2019 Marine Pollution Bulletin 128 citations
Article Tier 2

Occurrence and distribution of microplastics in the adjacent environment of Yellow River Delta, China

Researchers assessed microplastic pollution across water, sediment, and soil samples in the Yellow River Delta of China. The study found microplastic concentrations ranging from 0.5 to nearly 8 particles per liter in water and up to 4,200 particles per kilogram in sediments, with polyethylene and polypropylene being the most common polymer types, indicating widespread plastic contamination in this coastal environment.

2024 Marine Pollution Bulletin 10 citations
Article Tier 2

Characterization of microplastics in the surface seawater of the South Yellow Sea as affected by season

Surface seawater in the South Yellow Sea contained higher microplastic concentrations in winter than spring or summer, with fibers making up about 90% of particles and polyethylene and polypropylene as the dominant polymers. Seasonal variation in plastic characteristics, especially in summer, reflected greater terrestrial inputs during warmer months.

2020 The Science of The Total Environment 133 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastic pollution in sediments from the Bohai Sea and the Yellow Sea, China

Researchers sampled sediments from the Bohai Sea and Yellow Sea and found widespread microplastic contamination, with fibers and fragments as the dominant forms, and higher concentrations near river mouths and urban coastlines.

2018 The Science of The Total Environment 531 citations
Article Tier 2

[Microplastics pollution in the Yellow River basin: current status and control strategy].

This review summarizes microplastic contamination in the Yellow River basin, finding that pollution increases from upstream to downstream with the highest concentrations in the Yellow River Delta wetland, and that both sediment and surface water are impacted at levels posing risks to aquaculture and human health.

2023 PubMed
Article Tier 2

Distribution and Characteristics of Microplastics in Barnacles and Wild Bivalves on the Coast of the Yellow Sea, China

Researchers surveyed microplastic contamination in wild barnacles and bivalves along the Yellow Sea coast of China. They found microplastics in all sampled organisms, with fibers being the dominant type, and observed spatial variation in contamination levels across different coastal sites. The study provides baseline data on microplastic pollution in wild shellfish populations that are smaller and potentially more vulnerable than farmed species.

2022 Frontiers in Marine Science 41 citations
Article Tier 2

[Distribution, Sources, and Risk Assessment of Microplastics in Surface Sediments of Yellow River Delta Wetland].

Researchers surveyed microplastic pollution in surface sediments of the Yellow River Delta wetland and found concentrations ranging from 20 to 520 particles per kilogram, primarily consisting of fibers. The dominant polymer types included rayon, polyethylene, polyester, and PET, with most particles larger than 1 mm. Pollution index assessments indicated the wetland was at a slightly polluted level with relatively low ecological risk overall.

2023 PubMed 6 citations
Article Tier 2

An evaluation of microplastic contamination in the marine waters and species in the coastal region of the South Yellow Sea, China

Researchers surveyed microplastic contamination across water, sediment, fish, and shellfish in the South Yellow Sea, China, finding plastics at every level of the food chain. Contamination was highest near river mouths that drain industrialized areas and decreased further offshore. Fish and bivalves showed significant microplastic uptake in their guts and gills, confirming that microplastics move from polluted rivers into coastal seafood that humans consume.

2024 Journal of Hazardous Materials 17 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastics in offshore sediment in the Yellow Sea and East China Sea, China

Microplastics were found in offshore sediment samples from the Southern Yellow Sea and East China Sea, with concentrations and polymer types reflecting both local and distant anthropogenic sources. The study expands the known distribution of seafloor microplastic contamination in China's coastal seas and identifies fishing activities as a likely contributor.

2018 Environmental Pollution 312 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastics in commercial clams from the intertidal zone of the South Yellow Sea, China

Researchers examined microplastic contamination in commercial clams from the intertidal zone of China's South Yellow Sea, identifying polymer types and raising concerns about food safety and ecological risks in a commercially important shellfish habitat.

2022 Frontiers in Marine Science 20 citations
Article Tier 2

Occurrence of Microplastic Pollution in the Beibu Gulf, the Northern South China Sea

Researchers found microplastics in both surface water (0.67 items/m3) and sediment (4.33 items/kg dry weight) of the Beibu Gulf in the northern South China Sea, with polystyrene fragments dominating in seawater and a different polymer composition in sediment. The study characterized microplastic occurrence in a region with intensive fishery activity but relatively less economic development compared to other Chinese coastal areas.

2022 Frontiers in Marine Science 28 citations
Article Tier 2

An integrated assessment of microplastic pollution in coastal surface water and sediment of Japan

Researchers conducted a comprehensive survey of microplastic pollution across 14 coastal locations around Japan from Hokkaido to Okinawa, measuring concentrations of 288.7 g/km2 in surface water and 1,185 kg/km2 in sediment and characterizing polymer types, shapes, and size distributions.

2025
Article Tier 2

Fate, source, and ecological risk of microplastic in the surface sediment of the Beibu Gulf, the Northern South China sea

Researchers surveyed microplastic contamination in surface sediments across the Beibu Gulf in the northern South China Sea. They found microplastic levels ranging from about 13 to 252 particles per kilogram of sediment, with the highest concentrations near estuaries influenced by coastal currents, and fibers from household and textile products being the dominant form. The study's risk assessment indicated that some areas face extremely high ecological risk from microplastic pollution, underscoring the need for measures to reduce human-caused contamination.

2024 Marine Environmental Research 6 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastics in the surface waters of the northern South China Sea: Interannual variation and potential ecological risks

Researchers monitored microplastic pollution in the northern South China Sea surface waters from 2019 to 2023. They found that average microplastic abundance increased from 2019 to 2021 before declining, with polyethylene, polypropylene, and polyethylene terephthalate being the most common polymers, though overall ecological risk remained at low levels.

2025 Marine Environmental Research 5 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastics in Yellow River Delta wetland: Occurrence, characteristics, human influences, and marker

Microplastics were surveyed across different zones of the Yellow River Delta wetland with varying levels of human activity, finding widespread contamination even in protected areas with minimal human presence, with MP abundances ranging from 136 to 2060 items/kg. The study identifies direct human activities as a stronger driver of wetland microplastic contamination than tourism.

2019 Environmental Pollution 86 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastic Distribution and Transport Mechanisms in the South Sea and East China Sea of Korea

Researchers collected surface seawater and sediment samples from the South Sea and East China Sea of Korea to map microplastic distribution and identify transport mechanisms. Fragment-shaped microplastics in the 0.02-0.3 mm size range dominated, with concentrations highest in the Yellow Sea area and distribution patterns explained by regional current systems and local land-based inputs.

2025 Toxics
Article Tier 2

Microplastic pollution and ecological risk assessment in an estuarine environment: The Dongshan Bay of China

Researchers conducted the first survey of microplastic pollution in Dongshan Bay, a Chinese estuary, and found concentrations averaging 1.66 particles per cubic meter of surface water. The most common plastics were polypropylene, polyethylene, and polystyrene foam, likely originating from local fishing and aquaculture activities. An ecological risk assessment rated the bay at a moderate hazard level, establishing important baseline data for future monitoring.

2020 Chemosphere 348 citations
Article Tier 2

Distribution, compositional characteristics, and historical pollution records of microplastics in tidal flats of South Korea

Researchers investigated spatial and vertical distributions of microplastics in tidal flat sediments along the west coast of South Korea, finding distinct patterns in abundance and polymer composition linked to proximity to urban centers and tidal hydrodynamics.

2023 Marine Pollution Bulletin 15 citations
Article Tier 2

Characterization and risk assessment of microplastics in shoreline sediments of the Yellow River Delta

Microplastics were characterized in shoreline sediments from the Yellow River Delta in northern China, with polyethylene and polypropylene fibres and fragments predominating. Source analysis linked MPs to agricultural activities, riverine transport, and fishing, while ecological risk assessment indicated moderate-to-high risk for the delta ecosystem.

2024 Marine Environmental Research 4 citations
Article Tier 2

Distribution of microplastics in different tissues of major commercial catches in different functional areas of the South Yellow Sea

Researchers investigated microplastic distribution across different tissues of six commercial fish and crustacean species from the South Yellow Sea, finding MPs ubiquitous across species with an average abundance of 5.19 items per individual.

2023 The Science of The Total Environment 14 citations
Article Tier 2

Comparisons of microplastic pollution between mudflats and sandy beaches in Hong Kong

A comparison of microplastic pollution between mudflats and sandy beaches in Hong Kong found higher concentrations and greater diversity of polymer types in mudflat sediments, consistent with their lower-energy, depositional character. The findings suggest that low-energy coastal habitats like mudflats — which are also biodiversity-rich — may be more heavily impacted by microplastic contamination than sandy beaches.

2018 Environmental Pollution 188 citations