Papers

61,005 results
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Article Tier 2

Monitoring and Assessment of Microplastic Pollution in Coastal Zones: Sampling Methods and Spatial Distribution Characteristics

This review examines sampling methods and spatial distribution characteristics of microplastic pollution in coastal zones, synthesizing approaches for monitoring these key environmental interfaces. Researchers found that coastal zones serve as major sinks and dispersal areas for microplastics, with sampling methodology significantly influencing reported concentrations and distribution patterns.

2025
Article Tier 2

Deciphering the behavior and fate of microplastics in coastal aquatic environments: A comprehensive review illuminating coastal dynamics and driving mechanisms

This comprehensive review examined the behavior and fate of microplastics in coastal aquatic environments, covering transport fluxes from watersheds to the ocean, physical and geochemical dynamics, and interactions with particles and organisms in beach, nearshore, and estuarine zones. The authors highlighted controversy in estimating riverine microplastic fluxes and identified key knowledge gaps.

2025 Earth-Science Reviews 4 citations
Article Tier 2

Global transportation of plastics and microplastics: A critical review of pathways and influences

This review maps out the global pathways through which plastics and microplastics move through the environment, including water cycles, atmospheric transport, ocean currents, and biological transfer. Researchers found that human activities contribute at every stage of plastic transportation, from initial release to final accumulation in remote environments. The study emphasizes that plastic pollution is an extraordinarily complex issue involving both natural and human-driven dynamics that require coordinated global research.

2022 The Science of The Total Environment 172 citations
Article Tier 2

Distribution and importance of microplastics in the marine environment: A review of the sources, fate, effects, and potential solutions

This review synthesized research on the distribution and significance of microplastics across the marine environment, covering sources, transport pathways, ecological interactions, and the state of knowledge on biological and chemical effects.

2017 Environment International 2517 citations
Article Tier 2

Distribution, Migration and Ecological Effects of Microplastics in Marine Environment

This review provides a broad overview of microplastic pollution in the world's oceans, covering where these particles come from, how they are distributed across surface waters, sediments, and marine organisms, and how they move through ocean currents. Researchers summarize the ecological effects of marine microplastics, including their ability to carry toxic chemicals and harm marine life. The study calls for stronger international cooperation and standardized research methods to address this growing environmental challenge.

2024 Highlights in Science Engineering and Technology 6 citations
Article Tier 2

The occurrence and transport of microplastics: The state of the science

This review provides a comprehensive overview of where microplastics have been found across different environments including oceans, freshwater, soil, and the atmosphere, and how they are transported between these systems. Researchers summarized the key factors influencing microplastic movement, such as particle size, density, and environmental conditions. The study highlights that microplastic contamination is expected to increase in the coming decades and may pose growing risks to both ecosystems and human health.

2020 The Science of The Total Environment 289 citations
Article Tier 2

A review of possible pathways of marine microplastics transport in the ocean

This review examines the major pathways by which marine microplastics are transported through the ocean, including surface currents, vertical mixing, biological uptake, and seafloor deposition. Understanding these transport mechanisms is essential for predicting where plastic pollution accumulates and how it affects marine ecosystems.

2020 Anthropocene Coasts 157 citations
Article Tier 2

Transport mechanisms and fate of microplastics in estuarine compartments: A review

This review analyzes how tides, river flow, density, biofouling, and sediment dynamics influence the transport and fate of microplastics in estuaries, identifying these transitional zones as both temporary sinks and conduits for plastic pollution.

2022 Marine Pollution Bulletin 189 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastics Transport and Mixing Mechanisms in the Nearshore Region

This study investigated how waves and nearshore currents mix and transport microplastics in coastal zones, finding that physical oceanographic processes strongly control where microplastics accumulate along shorelines. Understanding nearshore microplastic transport is important for predicting contamination hotspots and designing effective beach cleanup strategies.

2020 Coastal Engineering Proceedings 26 citations
Article Tier 2

Assessing the Impact of Microplastic Pollution on Coastal Ecosystems: a Multidimensional Environmental Approach

This review presents a comprehensive multidimensional analysis of microplastic pollution in coastal ecosystems, covering sources, distribution pathways, ecological effects on marine organisms, and implications for environmental management. The authors draw on recent interdisciplinary research to assess how microplastics infiltrate nearly every ecological compartment from coastal waters to ocean sediments and interact with biological and chemical systems.

2025 Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research)
Article Tier 2

Plastics and microplastics, effects on marine coastal areas: a review

This review examines how plastics and microplastics impact coastal marine ecosystems, covering their entry pathways, degradation under environmental conditions, and ecological effects on marine organisms.

2020 Environmental Science and Pollution Research 72 citations
Article Tier 2

The Contribution of Microplastics to Marine Pollution

This review examines the contribution of microplastics to marine pollution, covering the pathways by which plastic particles enter ocean systems, their distribution across ocean basins, effects on marine life, and the challenges of reducing the flow of plastic into the sea.

2025 International Journal for Research in Applied Science and Engineering Technology
Review Tier 2

Review on the distribution of microplastics in the oceans and its impacts: Need for modeling-based approach to investigate the transport and risk of microplastic pollution

This review synthesizes evidence on microplastic distribution across global oceans and argues that modeling-based approaches are urgently needed to better understand transport pathways and assess pollution risks at scale.

2021 Environmental Engineering Research 28 citations
Article Tier 2

Physical transport properties of marine microplastic pollution

Researchers reviewed the physical transport properties of marine microplastics — including buoyancy, settling velocity, and biofouling effects — and developed models predicting the dispersal of both pelagic and benthic plastic pollution from land-based sources across different ocean regions. The study highlights how hydrodynamic behavior varies by polymer type and particle size, leading to differential accumulation patterns in surface waters, the water column, and seafloor sediments.

2012 182 citations
Article Tier 2

Sources, Fate, and Impact of Microplastics in Aquatic Environment

This review summarizes the sources, transport pathways, fate, and ecological impacts of microplastics in aquatic environments, noting that coastal areas have the highest concentrations but that microplastics sink and accumulate in deep sediments after fragmentation. The pervasive contamination of aquatic ecosystems poses threats to marine biota and food webs that ultimately affect human health.

2020 IntechOpen eBooks 33 citations
Article Tier 2

Short-term buoyant microplastic transport patterns driven by wave evolution, breaking, and orbital motion in coast

This study used laboratory wave-tank experiments to examine short-term buoyant microplastic transport driven by wave evolution, breaking, and orbital motion in coastal zones, finding that wave dynamics play a significant role in nearshore microplastic distribution.

2024 Marine Pollution Bulletin 7 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastic migration and distribution in the terrestrial and aquatic environments: A threat to biotic safety

This review summarizes how microplastics move through and accumulate in both land and water environments worldwide. Microplastics have been found in nearly every environment on Earth, and they can enter microorganisms, plants, animals, and humans through multiple pathways. The review highlights that despite growing evidence of widespread contamination, researchers still do not fully understand how microplastics of different sizes and shapes migrate and what biological damage they cause.

2023 Journal of Environmental Management 79 citations
Article Tier 2

Plastic pollution in the marine environment

This review provides a comprehensive overview of plastic pollution in coastal and marine environments, covering everything from how plastics enter the ocean to their effects on marine life. Researchers compiled global data showing microplastic concentrations ranging widely across different water bodies and sediments, with marine organisms accumulating significant amounts. The study underscores that plastic pollution causes ecological damage through entanglement, ingestion toxicity, and the transport of invasive species.

2020 Heliyon 939 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastic Pollution: Fate, Sources, Transport and Identification

This review summarizes the sources, fate, transport, and identification methods for microplastics in aquatic and terrestrial environments, highlighting their global distribution across all ecosystems and the growing concern for their impacts on marine life, other organisms, and human health.

2023 4 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastic Pollution in Oceans

This review provides an overview of microplastic pollution in the world's oceans, covering sources, distribution patterns, ecological impacts, and the challenges of monitoring and remediation at global scale. The authors emphasize the urgent need for international policy coordination and improved waste management.

2024 Practice, progress, and proficiency in sustainability
Article Tier 2

Microplastics in bays: Transport processes and numerical models

This review examines how microplastics move through and accumulate in coastal bays, which are particularly vulnerable due to their semi-enclosed nature. Researchers summarized the physical processes, including wind, currents, and tides, that drive microplastic transport and distribution in these environments. The study emphasizes that computer modeling is an essential tool for predicting microplastic movement patterns and developing effective cleanup strategies.

2025 The Science of The Total Environment 3 citations
Article Tier 2

Assessing Plastic Pollution on Shorelines and in Coastal Sediments

This review examines the sources and fate of plastic pollution on shorelines and in coastal sediments, describing how low-density polymers are transported globally by winds, rivers, currents, and tides from predominantly land-based sources. The authors assess what is known about plastic accumulation in marine sediments over time and the challenges of constraining the ultimate fate of historical plastic debris.

2024
Article Tier 2

Fate of plastics and microplastics in the marine environment

This thesis reviewed how plastics and microplastics enter, move through, and accumulate in marine environments, examining sources, transport pathways, and long-term fate. Understanding the ocean's plastic burden is essential for predicting ecological and human health risks.

2023
Article Tier 2

Driver, Trends and Fate of Plastics and Micro Plastics Occurrence in the Environment

This review examines the sources, trends, and environmental fate of plastics and microplastics, which have become a major global pollution problem due to massive production and poor waste management. Understanding how plastics move through the environment is essential for designing effective pollution controls.

2023