Papers

61,005 results
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Article Tier 2

Microplastic volumes in Tokyo Bay

Researchers quantified microplastic volumes across multiple sites in Tokyo Bay, Japan, finding spatial variation linked to urban runoff and river inputs, with surface waters and sediments showing distinct accumulation patterns.

2024 Marine Pollution Bulletin 8 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastics contamination in tidelands of the Osaka Bay area in western Japan

Researchers surveyed microplastic contamination in the mudflats of four Osaka Bay tidelands in Japan, finding that concentrations in sediment increased with proximity to urban areas, and detected microplastics in 10% of bivalves, 6.7% of crabs, and in the stomach of a tufted duck. The results suggest biomagnification potential in the food web, with higher-order predators potentially accumulating greater microplastic loads in tideland ecosystems near cities.

2019 Water and Environment Journal 27 citations
Article Tier 2

Comprehensive Understanding of Microplastics Inflow Off the Coast of Funabashi

Researchers conducted continuous monitoring of microplastic (MP) contamination in rivers, sewage, and coastal waters around Funabashi in Tokyo Bay, finding that MP number densities showed high temporal variability and a gradual decreasing trend, with upstream river sources driving contamination that diminished toward the sea as particles settled into bottom sediments, while sewage was also implicated as a contributor to marine MP pollution.

2025 Japanese Journal of JSCE
Article Tier 2

Assessment of the sources and inflow processes of microplastics in the river environments of Japan

Researchers mapped microplastic concentrations across 29 Japanese rivers and found plastic particles present at 31 of 36 sampling sites. The concentrations were strongly linked to urbanization and population density, confirming that human activities in river basins are a major driver of freshwater microplastic pollution. The findings demonstrate that significant plastic fragmentation occurs before debris reaches the ocean, making rivers an important area for pollution monitoring.

2018 Environmental Pollution 514 citations
Article Tier 2

Contamination of sea surface water offshore the Tokai region and Tokyo Bay in Japan by small microplastics

Surface water off the Tokai region and within Tokyo Bay, Japan, was sampled with a nested net system distinguishing small microplastics (under 350 micrometers) from larger microplastics. Small microplastic concentrations were 20 to 60 times higher than larger ones, with concentrations up to 5,900 pieces per cubic meter in Tokyo Bay's inner waters.

2022 Marine Pollution Bulletin 61 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastic burden in marine benthic invertebrates depends on species traits and feeding ecology within biogeographical provinces

Researchers analyzed microplastic levels in the bodies of marine bottom-dwelling invertebrates across different ocean regions and found that the amount of microplastic ingested depended more on the animals' feeding strategies and body traits than on local pollution levels alone. Filter-feeding and deposit-feeding species accumulated the most particles. The study suggests that simply measuring environmental microplastic concentrations may not accurately predict how much wildlife in an area is actually ingesting.

2023 Nature Communications 79 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastics on the sea surface of the semi-closed Tokyo Bay

Researchers surveyed microplastic pollution in Tokyo Bay using neuston nets in May 2019 and January 2020, finding average abundances of 3.98 pieces per square metre with polyethylene fragments dominating, and identifying river inputs as the primary source based on matching seasonal abundance patterns between riverine and inner bay samples.

2020 Marine Pollution Bulletin 81 citations
Article Tier 2

Occurrence, distribution, and possible sources of microplastics in the surface river water in the Arakawa River watershed

Researchers investigated the occurrence, distribution, and potential sources of microplastics in surface river water along the Arakawa River watershed running through the Tokyo Metropolitan area, contributing to data on microplastic contamination in populated urban freshwater systems.

2021 Environmental Science and Pollution Research 38 citations
Article Tier 2

An Integrated Assessmentof Microplastic Pollutionin Coastal Surface Water and Sediment of Japan

Researchers conducted an integrated assessment of microplastic pollution in coastal surface water and sediment around Japan, providing a comprehensive dataset that clarifies the extent of contamination in Japanese coastal areas previously lacking systematic monitoring data.

2025 Figshare
Article Tier 2

Assessing small-scale freshwater microplastics pollution, land-use, source-to-sink conduits, and pollution risks: Perspectives from Japanese rivers polluted with microplastics

Researchers assessed microplastic pollution in four small-scale Japanese rivers flowing into the Sea of Japan and Seto Inland Sea. The study found that these small rivers were more heavily polluted than many larger rivers worldwide, with polyethylene, polypropylene, and polyester fibers dominating, suggesting that small-scale rivers are significant but often overlooked conduits transporting land-based microplastics to marine environments.

2021 The Science of The Total Environment 292 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastic abundance in the semi-enclosed Osaka Bay, Japan

Researchers quantified microplastic abundance in the semi-enclosed Osaka Bay, Japan, finding elevated concentrations near river mouths and urban coastal zones, and characterizing dominant polymer types consistent with consumer plastics.

2024 Environmental Science and Pollution Research 9 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastic pollution in two remote rivers of Türkiye

Researchers documented microplastic pollution in two remote rivers of Turkey, finding that even waterways far from major urban centers contain significant microplastic contamination, highlighting the widespread reach of plastic pollution in freshwater ecosystems.

2023 Environmental Monitoring and Assessment 31 citations
Article Tier 2

High-Resolution Mapping of Japanese Microplastic and Macroplastic Emissions from the Land into the Sea

Researchers developed a high-resolution method to map microplastic and macroplastic emissions from Japanese river catchments into the sea, using correlations between observed river concentrations and basin characteristics such as urban area ratio and population density to generate nationwide plastic emission estimates.

2020 Water 85 citations
Article Tier 2

Assessing the relationship between the abundance and properties of microplastics in water and in mussels

Researchers investigated the relationship between microplastic levels in coastal waters and in mussels at 25 sites along China's coastline. They found a strong positive correlation, meaning that mussels in more polluted waters contained more microplastics, and that mussels preferentially ingested smaller particles. The study supports the use of mussels as biological indicators for monitoring microplastic contamination in marine environments.

2017 The Science of The Total Environment 459 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 the sediments of small-scale Japanese rivers: Abundance and distribution, characterization, sources-to-sink, and ecological risks

Researchers characterized microplastic pollution in sediments of four small-scale Japanese rivers, finding widespread contamination and identifying polymer types and potential sources, highlighting that even small river systems serve as microplastic transport pathways.

2021 The Science of The Total Environment 109 citations
Article Tier 2

Abundance and characterization of microplastics in amphipods from the Japanese coastal environment

Researchers found high levels of microplastic ingestion in coastal amphipods from Japan, with up to 76 particles per individual and 83% of particles smaller than 90 µm, predominantly polyethylene, raising concerns about microplastic transfer through coastal food webs.

2023 Environmental Science and Pollution Research 6 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastic pollution in the environment and organisms of Xiangshan Bay, East China Sea: An area of intensive mariculture

Researchers assessed microplastic pollution across water, sediment, and marine organisms in Xiangshan Bay, a major mariculture area in China, finding that intensive aquaculture in the enclosed inner bay concentrated microplastics and that fish ingested more particles than other organisms.

2022 Water Research 96 citations
Article Tier 2

First Evidence of Microplastic Ingestion by Riverine Fish From the Freshwater of Northwest Peninsular Malaysia

Researchers found microplastics in the guts of multiple fish species from two rivers in northwest Malaysia, with some species averaging nearly 50 microplastic particles per gram of body weight. The dominant particles were fibers and fragments of polyethylene and polypropylene — findings that signal widespread contamination of freshwater food sources and raise concerns about human exposure through fish consumption.

2024 Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry 2 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

Micro- and mesoplastic contaminants in marine diving ducks: A first assessments from the coast of Japan

Researchers conducted the first assessment of plastic contamination in two species of mollusk-eating seaducks wintering along Japan's Pacific coast and found microplastics in all ten birds examined. The vast majority of particles were tiny fragments under 200 micrometers, a size class previously overlooked in seaduck studies, suggesting these birds ingest microplastics primarily through their contaminated prey.

2026 Marine Pollution Bulletin
Article Tier 2

Comparative analysis of microplastic pollution in commercially relevant seafood across different geographical regions

Researchers analyzed microplastic pollution in commercially important seafood species, characterizing particle morphology and polymer composition across species. The study found microplastics in all species sampled, with differences in contamination levels linked to feeding ecology and habitat.

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

Seasonal Changes in Drift Distribution of Microplastics on Ocean Surface Off Funahashi

This Japanese study tracked seasonal changes in the distribution and concentration of microplastics floating on the surface of Tokyo Bay. Microplastic density increased with rainfall, suggesting that storm runoff from the surrounding urban area is a major source of marine microplastic inputs.

2023 Japanese Journal of JSCE
Article Tier 2

Distinct microplastic patterns in the sediment and biota of an urban stream

Researchers found distinct microplastic contamination patterns between sediments and aquatic biota in an urban stream, with sediments accumulating more particles while biota showed selective uptake based on particle size and shape, highlighting the complex dynamics of microplastic distribution in urban freshwater systems.

2022 The Science of The Total Environment 35 citations